PIC18F2450-I/ML - 8-bit USB MCU 16KB Flash 28-QFN | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F2450-I/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.26 | $7.26 |
| 10 | $6.54 | $65.40 |
| 100 | $5.81 | $581.00 |
| 500 | $5.23 | $2,615.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.65 | $4,650.00 |
PIC18F2450-I/ML Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer containing a CPU core, program memory (Flash), data memory (RAM/EEPROM), and programmable peripherals. The PIC18F family uses Microchip's enhanced 8-bit RISC architecture with 16-bit-wide instructions and Harvard memory organization, occupying the price/performance sweet spot for embedded control. Within that family, the PIC18F2450 adds a hardware USB 2.0 Full-Speed transceiver plus SIE (Serial Interface Engine), which is why engineers choose it for compact, single-chip USB peripherals such as HID-class input devices, CDC virtual COM ports, and USB firmware bootloaders.
Key features include 23 digital I/O pins, nanoWatt power management with multiple sleep modes, two 8-bit and three 16-bit timers, two capture/compare/PWM modules, a 10-bit ADC with up to 13 input channels, a USART with enhanced address detection, an MSSP port for SPI/I2C master-slave operation, and on-chip 3.3V regulator for USB PHY supply. The 28-QFN package enables compact PCB layouts and provides a thermal pad for improved heat spreading during sustained USB VBUS-powered operation.
The PIC18F2450 uses a 16-bit modified Harvard core with 8-bit data path, executing most instructions in one oscillator cycle (4-clock pipeline). The Enhanced Flash memory supports self-programming, enabling USB-based in-application firmware upgrades - the part can reflash itself without external programmer by enumerating as a USB HID class bootloader. Twelve oscillator modes (including HS, XT, LP, RC, INTIO, and PLL) plus the USB-specific 96 MHz PLL (48 MHz bus from a 4/8/16/20/24/40 MHz crystal) provide flexible clocking.
Typical applications include USB HID peripherals (keyboards, mice, custom input devices), USB-to-UART bridge dongles (CDC virtual COM), low-cost USB development boards (compatible with PICDEM FS USB), USB-bootloader field-upgradable appliances, sensor interfaces that stream over USB, and consumer toys/printers/scanners where a USB cable is the only wired interface. The industrial temperature grade supports factory automation and outdoor industrial equipment.
Design considerations: route the 48 MHz USB clock trace as a short, impedance-controlled 50-ohm microstrip over a continuous ground plane; place the VBUS decoupling capacitor as close as possible to pin 14; ensure the D+/D- traces are matched length and differential-90-ohm impedance per USB 2.0 FS specification; connect the exposed thermal pad to a solid ground pour for thermal relief and ground reference. The internal 3.3V USB regulator must have 220 nF + 470 nF ceramic caps on its output per the manufacturer datasheet.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in QFN-28 alternatives from Microchip's broader PIC18F USB family, and practical PCB design notes not aggregated on any single manufacturer or distributor page.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F2450-I/ML — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with PIC18F2450-I/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, I/O Pins, MSL Level, Operating Temperature, Power-Saving Modes.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F2455-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F2550-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F2450T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F14K50-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F13K50-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F2450-I/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC18 8-bit enhanced RISC |
| Program Memory | 16 KB Enhanced Flash |
| SRAM | 768 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 12 MIPS (48 MHz oscillator) |
| Operating Voltage (VDD) | 4.2 V to 5.5 V (F variant) |
| USB Interface | USB 2.0 Full-Speed (12 Mbit/s) on-chip transceiver + SIE |
| I/O Pins | 23 |
| Timers | 2 x 8-bit + 3 x 16-bit |
| Capture/Compare/PWM | 2 ECCP modules |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 13 channels |
| Communication | EUSART, MSSP (SPI / I2C master+slave) |
| Oscillator Modes | 12 modes incl. HS, XT, LP, RC, PLL (USB 96 MHz PLL) |
| On-chip USB Regulator | 3.3 V LDO for USB PHY |
| Power-Saving Modes | nanoWatt (Sleep, Idle, DOZE) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (I grade) |
| Package | 28-pin QFN (ML) 6x6 mm with thermal pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free / Halogen-Free | Yes / Yes |
| Self-Programming | Yes (in-application programming via USB) |
PIC18F2450-I/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2/AN2/VREF- — Port A bit 2 / ADC channel 2 / ADC negative reference |
| Pin 2 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — Port A bit 3 / ADC channel 3 / ADC positive reference |
| Pin 3 | RA4/T0CKI/C1OUT — Port A bit 4 / Timer0 clock input / Comparator 1 output |
| Pin 4 | RA5/AN4/SS/C2OUT — Port A bit 5 / ADC channel 4 / MSSP slave select / Comparator 2 output |
| Pin 5 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 6 | OSC1/CLKI/RA7 — Oscillator input / external clock input / Port A bit 7 |
| Pin 7 | OSC2/CLKO/RA6 — Oscillator output / clock output / Port A bit 6 |
| Pin 8 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI — Port C bit 0 / Timer1 oscillator output / Timer1 clock input |
| Pin 9 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — Port C bit 1 / Timer1 oscillator input / CCP2 output |
| Pin 10 | RC2/CCP1 — Port C bit 2 / CCP1 output |
| Pin 11 | VUSB — Internal 3.3 V USB regulator output (decouple with 220 nF + 470 nF) |
| Pin 12 | RC4/D-/VMO — Port C bit 4 / USB D- / USB VMO monitor output |
| Pin 13 | RC5/D+/VPO — Port C bit 5 / USB D+ / USB VPO monitor output |
| Pin 14 | VBUS — USB bus power sense input (5 V VBUS from host) |
| Pin 15 | RC6/TX/CK — Port C bit 6 / EUSART TX / EUSART clock |
| Pin 16 | RC7/RX/DT — Port C bit 7 / EUSART RX / EUSART data |
| Pin 17 | RB0/AN12/INT0 — Port B bit 0 / ADC channel 12 / External interrupt 0 |
| Pin 18 | RB1/AN10/INT1 — Port B bit 1 / ADC channel 10 / External interrupt 1 |
| Pin 19 | RB2/AN8/INT2 — Port B bit 2 / ADC channel 8 / External interrupt 2 |
| Pin 20 | RB3/AN9/CCP2 — Port B bit 3 / ADC channel 9 / alternate CCP2 |
| Pin 21 | RB4/AN11 — Port B bit 4 / ADC channel 11 |
| Pin 22 | RB5/AN5 — Port B bit 5 / ADC channel 5 |
| Pin 23 | RB6/PGD — Port B bit 6 / ICSP data |
| Pin 24 | RB7/PGC — Port B bit 7 / ICSP clock |
| Pin 25 | MCLR/VPP/RE3 — Master clear reset / programming high voltage / Port E bit 3 |
| Pin 26 | RA0/AN0/ULPWU — Port A bit 0 / ADC channel 0 / ultra-low-power wake-up |
| Pin 27 | RA1/AN1 — Port A bit 1 / ADC channel 1 |
| Pin 28 | VDD — Positive supply (4.2 V to 5.5 V) |
Typical Applications
PIC18F2450-I/ML is suitable for 6 applications: USB HID Input Devices, USB-to-UART CDC Virtual COM Bridge, USB Bootloader / In-Field Firmware Upgrades, Industrial USB Sensor Interface Modules, Consumer USB Toys, Printers, and Scanners, Low-Cost USB Development / Educational Boards.
USB HID Input Devices
The PIC18F2450's on-chip USB 2.0 Full-Speed transceiver plus SIE makes it ideal for USB HID-class input devices such as keyboards, mice, custom control surfaces, and game controllers. With 23 I/O pins it has enough headroom for matrix-scanned keypads, rotary encoders, and LED indicators while the 16 KB Flash comfortably fits HID report descriptors plus custom application logic. According to the Microchip datasheet, the 48 MHz oscillator (12 MIPS throughput) keeps HID polling latency well under the 1 ms USB Full-Speed frame budget. Place the part on a clean 5 V USB bus-powered rail with a ferrite bead isolating the MCU VDD from the VBUS switch node.
Recommended
USB-to-UART CDC Virtual COM Bridge
The PIC18F2450 is widely used as a low-cost USB-to-UART bridge dongle, enumerating as a CDC virtual COM port on the host PC and exposing its on-chip EUSART as a physical serial interface on the application side. This is the standard replacement for legacy FTDI cables in industrial sensor readouts and embedded debug links. Per the Microchip CDC Basic demo firmware, the part handles all USB framing, line-coding, and baud-rate translation in hardware with negligible CPU overhead, leaving 12 MIPS for application processing. Add an ESD protection diode array on D+/D- for rugged industrial deployments.
Recommended
USB Bootloader / In-Field Firmware Upgrades
The Enhanced Flash memory and self-programming capability of the PIC18F2450 enable a USB HID-class bootloader that can reflash the application region without an external programmer. Field-installed appliances (HVAC controllers, LED lighting fixtures, sensor hubs) can be firmware-updated by the end user simply by plugging into USB. Per Microchip application note AN1310, the part splits its 16 KB Flash into a fixed bootloader region plus an application region; USB enumeration happens in the bootloader, then control transfers to the application. This eliminates the cost of an ICSP header on the production PCB.
Recommended
Industrial USB Sensor Interface Modules
The industrial -40 to +85 C temperature grade of the PIC18F2450-I/ML makes it suitable for factory-floor sensor modules that report temperature, pressure, or position over USB to a host PC or industrial gateway. The 10-bit ADC with up to 13 channels handles multiple analog sensors in parallel, while the MSSP port reads I2C/SPI sensors. According to the Microchip datasheet, nanoWatt sleep modes drop quiescent current to microampere levels between USB polls, supporting battery-backed sensor loggers. Use TVS diodes on D+/D- and a common-mode choke for industrial EMI immunity.
Recommended
Consumer USB Toys, Printers, and Scanners
Low-cost consumer USB peripherals - educational toys, label printers, barcode scanners, and personal-health dongles - use the PIC18F2450 because it removes the need for an external USB PHY chip, reducing BOM cost by approximately $1-2 versus USB-serial bridge solutions. The 23 I/O pins drive small displays, buttons, and motor PWM channels. Per the Microchip product brief, the part supports USB suspend/resume to meet USB battery-charging and energy-star requirements, with nanoWatt modes pulling under 1 uA when the host PC is off.
Recommended
Low-Cost USB Development / Educational Boards
The PIC18F2450 is the silicon at the heart of the PICDEM FS USB demonstration board and many third-party PIC training kits. Engineering students, makers, and rapid-prototyping teams learn USB enumeration, HID report descriptors, and CDC line coding on this part because the Microchip USB stack (MCHPFSUSB) is freely available and well-documented. The 28-QFN package is breadboard-compatible via breakout boards, and the SPDIP-28 variant (/SP) is widely available for through-hole prototyping. Programming is via ICSP or the on-chip USB bootloader, both of which are supported by MPLAB X IDE and XC8 compiler.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F2450-I/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F2455-I/ML | PIC18F2550-I/ML | PIC18F2450T-I/ML | PIC18F14K50-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | QFN-28 (ML) 6x6 mm | QFN-28 (ML) 6x6 mm - same | QFN-28 (ML) 6x6 mm - same | QFN-28 (ML) 6x6 mm - same | QFN-28 (ML) 6x6 mm - same |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB | 24 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB (low-voltage family) |
| SRAM | 768 bytes | 1.25 KB | 2 KB | 768 bytes | 768 bytes |
| Operating Voltage | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 2.7 V to 3.6 V (low-voltage) |
| USB Interface | FS USB 2.0 (12 Mbit/s) | FS USB 2.0 (12 Mbit/s) | FS USB 2.0 (12 Mbit/s) | FS USB 2.0 (12 Mbit/s) | FS USB 2.0 (12 Mbit/s) |
| I/O Pins | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 17 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40 to +85 C) | Industrial (-40 to +85 C) | Industrial (-40 to +85 C) | Industrial (-40 to +85 C) | Industrial (-40 to +85 C) |
| Approx. Unit Price (qty 1) | $7.26 | $7.60 | $8.10 | $7.26 (reel packaging) | $4.50 |
Key Differentiators
- On-chip Full-Speed USB 2.0 transceiver and SIE (vs PIC16F877A-I/P (older 8-bit MCU without USB))
- Compact 28-QFN package with full USB in minimal footprint (vs PIC18F4550-I/PT (40-pin TQFP with same USB FS))
- 16 KB Flash with Enhanced self-programming for USB bootloader (vs PIC18F13K50-I/ML (low-voltage 8 KB Flash))
Design Notes
Route the USB D+ (pin 15 / RC5) and D- (pin 14 / RC4) traces as a 90-ohm differential pair over a continuous ground plane per USB 2.0 Full-Speed specification. Match trace lengths within 150 mils, keep series in-line resistance below 30 ohms total, and avoid routing the pair near switching power or clock edges. Place the VBUS decoupling capacitor (4.7 uF minimum) within 5 mm of pin 14 to suppress inrush transients. Add a common-mode choke for EMI-sensitive industrial environments.
The on-chip USB 3.3 V regulator (VUSB pin 11) MUST be decoupled with both 220 nF and 470 nF ceramic capacitors per the Microchip datasheet. Connecting only one capacitor will cause USB enumeration failures on some hosts. VDD (4.2-5.5 V) needs a 100 nF ceramic plus 10 uF bulk capacitor placed within 3 mm of the package. The exposed thermal pad (EP) MUST be soldered to a grounded copper pour of at least 25 mm^2 for thermal relief and ground reference, or the part may overheat in sustained USB VBUS-powered operation.
Do not confuse the PIC18F2450 (4.2-5.5 V standard F variant) with the PIC18LF2450 (2.0-5.5 V low-voltage variant). Code compiled for one voltage range will not run reliably on the other. When migrating firmware from PIC18F2550 to PIC18F2450, remember that the linker memory map shrinks from 32 KB Flash / 2 KB RAM to 16 KB Flash / 768 B RAM - link errors are common if vector tables are not resized. The MCLR pin (pin 25) cannot be left floating; tie it to VDD through a 10 kohm pull-up for normal operation, or use the internal MCLR configuration to free the pin as RE3.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page. Industrial temperature grade (-40 to +85 C); not AEC-Q100 qualified for automotive applications.
