PIC18F27K42-E/SP - 64MHz 128KB Flash 8-bit MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F27K42-E/SP ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.82 | $3.82 |
| 10 | $3.43 | $34.30 |
| 100 | $2.91 | $291.00 |
| 500 | $2.51 | $1,255.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.21 | $2,210.00 |
PIC18F27K42-E/SP Overview
An 8-bit PIC microcontroller (MCU) is a Harvard-architecture, RISC-style processor with separate program and data buses optimized for deterministic real-time control. The PIC18F line is Microchip's mid-to-high end 8-bit family, sitting above the PIC16F and base PIC18 lines and offering larger memories, richer peripherals, and more complex interrupt handling. K42 devices in particular add intelligent analog (12-bit ADC with computation, DAC, comparators), configurable logic cells, and high-resolution PWM, making them suitable as system-level controllers in mixed-signal designs.
Key features of the PIC18F27K42-E/SP include 25 general-purpose I/O pins, four 16-bit timers, four CCP/ECCP modules, two I2C, two SPI, two UART, up to 16-channel 12-bit ADC, 5-bit DAC, two comparators, a CLC (Configurable Logic Cell) block, and a peripheral DMA controller that moves data between memory and peripherals without CPU intervention. The XLP nanoWatt technology delivers typical sleep currents in the nanoampere range, and an extended operating voltage range of 1.8 V to 5.5 V (industrial) suits both coin-cell and USB-powered or industrial 5 V rails.
The architecture uses a 16-bit instruction word and a 16-byte deep hardware stack, with vectored interrupts prioritizing on-chip peripherals for fast deterministic response. The device also supports device firmware upgrades via dual Flash partitions and is supported by MPLAB X IDE, MPLAB XC8 compiler and MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) free of charge, dramatically reducing time-to-prototype.
Typical applications include low-power IoT sensor nodes, industrial control subsystems, consumer appliances, USB peripherals, motor control (BLDC/PMSM FOC), LED lighting controllers, and battery-powered measurement instruments. Designers pick this MCU when they need a rich peripheral set and large Flash in a familiar 28-pin DIP footprint for prototyping or hand-rework-friendly production.
When designing with this device, populate the Vcap pin with a low-ESR capacitor, use 1% decoupling on each supply pin, and route the 64 MHz Fosc trace away from analog inputs. Watch the absolute maximum VDD of 5.5 V and remember that the -E suffix denotes the -40C to +125C extended operating temperature grade, suitable for industrial environments.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing and stock data, drop-in same-package alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, helping engineers and procurement teams evaluate the PIC18F27K42-E/SP for new designs and second-source qualification.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F27K42-E/SP — 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 PIC18F27K42-E/SP (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Mounting Type, Core, Timers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F27K42-I/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.62 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F27K42-E/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.21 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F27K42T-E/SP
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F26K42-I/SP
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F27K40-E/SP
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F26Q84-I/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →ATMEGA328P-PU
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →PIC18F27K42-E/SP Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC 8-bit, enhanced Harvard architecture |
| Family | PIC18F K42 (XLP) |
| Instruction Set | PIC18 16-bit instruction word |
| Max CPU Clock | 64 MHz |
| Program Flash | 128 KB (64K x 16 words) |
| SRAM | 8 KB |
| EEPROM | 1 KB |
| I/O Pins | 25 |
| Package | 28-pin SPDIP (0.300 inch, 7.62 mm) |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 16 channels |
| DAC | 5-bit, 2 channels |
| Comparators | 2 |
| Timers | 4 x 16-bit + 2 x 8-bit |
| CCP / ECCP | 4 modules |
| PWM | Up to 4 channels, 16-bit resolution |
| Communication | 2x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C |
| DMA | 4-channel peripheral DMA |
| CLC | 4 Configurable Logic Cells |
| Vectored Interrupts | Yes |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (extended, -E suffix) |
| Mounting Type | Through-hole (DIP) |
| MSL Level | Not applicable (through-hole package) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free) |
PIC18F27K42-E/SP Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/RE3 — Master Clear (Reset) input or digital-only RE3 |
| Pin 2 | RA0 — Port A bit 0 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 3 | RA1 — Port A bit 1 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — Port A bit 2 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 5 | RA3 — Port A bit 3 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 6 | RA4 — Port A bit 4 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 7 | RA5 — Port A bit 5 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | RA7/OSC1 — Port A bit 7 or oscillator input |
| Pin 10 | RA6/OSC2 — Port A bit 6 or oscillator output |
| Pin 11 | RC0 — Port C bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 12 | RC1 — Port C bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 13 | RC2 — Port C bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 14 | RC3 — Port C bit 3 (digital I/O, SCL/SPI clock) |
| Pin 15 | RC4 — Port C bit 4 (digital I/O, SDA/SPI data) |
| Pin 16 | RC5 — Port C bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 17 | RC6 — Port C bit 6 (digital I/O, TX) |
| Pin 18 | RC7 — Port C bit 7 (digital I/O, RX) |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 21 | RB0 — Port B bit 0 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — Port B bit 1 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — Port B bit 2 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 24 | RB3 — Port B bit 3 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — Port B bit 4 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — Port B bit 5 (interrupt-on-change, ICSP) |
| Pin 27 | RB6 — Port B bit 6 (interrupt-on-change, ICSP clock) |
| Pin 28 | RB7/PGD — Port B bit 7 (interrupt-on-change, ICSP data) |
Typical Applications
PIC18F27K42-E/SP is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, Industrial Control Subsystems, BLDC / PMSM Motor Control, Consumer Appliance Controls, LED Lighting Controllers, Portable Measurement Instruments.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC18F27K42-E/SP fits battery-powered IoT sensor nodes thanks to its XLP nanoWatt technology and 1.8-5.5 V operating range, which supports coin-cell, 2xAA and Li-ion chemistries with nanoampere sleep currents. Its 128 KB Flash comfortably holds multi-protocol stacks (LoRa driver, sensor fusion, OTA bootloader) while 8 KB SRAM buffers measurement packets before transmission. The 12-bit ADC with up to 16 channels and DMA offload lets multiple I2C/SPI sensors stream data with the CPU idle. Peripherals like the 16-bit timers and CCP modules also drive power-management FETs, and the -40 to +125 C E grade handles outdoor enclosures. Recommend pairing with MCP1700 LDO, MCP9808 temperature sensor, and SX1276 LoRa transceiver.
Recommended
Industrial Control Subsystems
The PIC18F27K42-E/SP suits industrial control subsystems with its 64 MHz core, 12-bit ADC, and CIP peripherals that handle encoder input, PWM output, and serial comms deterministically. The E temperature grade (-40 to +125 C) handles factory-floor enclosures, while 5 V tolerance on most I/Os tolerates 24 V-signal conditioning with external resistor dividers. Vectored interrupts respond within 4 cycles, fast enough for closed-loop PID and quadrature decoding. The dual UARTs bridge RS-485 and RS-232 modbus networks; on-chip DMA streams ADC samples into RAM without CPU overhead. Use it as a standalone PLC sub-controller or HMI I/O expander.
Recommended
BLDC / PMSM Motor Control
The PIC18F27K42-E/SP drives small BLDC and PMSM motors with its four 16-bit PWM channels (each with independent duty/period), four CCP/ECCP modules and CLC blocks for hardware-level commutation logic. The 64 MHz instruction rate supports field-oriented control (FOC) loops at 20-40 kHz PWM while leaving headroom for current-sense sampling. DMA shuttles ADC samples from the 12-bit ADC to RAM, so the CPU only executes the control law. The 25 I/O pins include enough for three-phase gate drivers, Hall sensors and a quadrature encoder. Pair with the MCP8024 three-phase gate driver for a complete compact motor-drive design.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance Controls
The PIC18F27K42-E/SP fits consumer appliance controls (washing machines, dishwashers, coffee machines, air purifiers) because the 28-pin SPDIP allows easy hand-solder rework and the K42 CIP set handles cap-touch via CTMU, plus display driving, without external ASICs. The 5.5 V tolerance connects directly to mains-derived 5 V rails after a small buck converter. The 1 KB EEPROM stores user settings, calibration values and fault logs across power cycles. Its low BOM cost (~USD 2.20 at 1k) makes it ideal for price-sensitive mass-production appliances.
Recommended
LED Lighting Controllers
The PIC18F27K42-E/SP is ideal for smart LED lighting controllers thanks to its 16-bit PWM resolution for flicker-free dimming down to 0.1% and up to four independent PWM channels for RGBW strips. CLC blocks implement zero-cross detection and triac-dimming decoding in hardware, freeing the CPU for BLE/Sub-GHz wireless stack handling. The 12-bit ADC and 5-bit DAC provide analog-mixing outputs for warm-white blending, while DMA keeps color transitions smooth. The E temperature grade operates in enclosed luminaire housings at 70 C ambient with margin.
Recommended
Portable Measurement Instruments
The PIC18F27K42-E/SP serves portable measurement instruments (handheld multimeters, dataloggers, environmental monitors) where its 12-bit ADC with up to 16 channels, dual op-amp comparator and 5-bit DAC create a compact mixed-signal front-end. The 8 KB SRAM buffers measurement logs before SD-card flush, while DMA moves ADC samples without CPU intervention. The XLP nanoWatt sleep with RTC keeps time-of-day and event timestamps with total system current under 1 uA, enabling months of battery life on 2xAA. The 128 KB Flash holds USB-CDC, SD-card FatFS and BLE stacks simultaneously.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F27K42-E/SP — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F27K42-I/SP | PIC18F27K42T-E/SP | PIC18F26K42-I/SP | PIC18F27K40-E/SP | PIC18F26Q84-I/SP | ATmega328P-PU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology (Atmel) |
| Package | 28-SPDIP (0.300 inch) | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-PDIP - same |
| Architecture | PIC 8-bit | PIC 8-bit | PIC 8-bit | PIC 8-bit | PIC 8-bit | PIC 8-bit | AVR 8-bit |
| Max CPU Clock | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Program Flash | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 64 KB (-50%) | 128 KB | 64 KB (-50%) | 32 KB (-75%) |
| SRAM | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | 4 KB (-50%) | 8 KB | 4 KB (-50%) | 2 KB (-75%) |
| EEPROM | 1 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +85 C (I) | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +85 C (I) | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +85 C (I) | -40 C to +85 C |
| Operating Voltage | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
Key Differentiators
- Highest memory density in 28-pin SPDIP class (vs PIC18F26K42-I/SP)
- Extended temperature grade option (vs PIC18F27K42-I/SP)
- Cross-vendor DIP-28 drop-in with mature toolchain (vs ATmega328P-PU)
Design Notes
Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor as close as possible to each VDD/VSS pin pair (typically two pairs on 28-pin SPDIP). Add a bulk 10 uF tantalum or ceramic capacitor near the device for transient load response. The internal 64 MHz oscillator can draw short bursts of current up to 10 mA during PLL updates, so the bulk capacitor prevents VDD droop that could cause ADC errors.
Estimated: with 28-SPDIP at 0.300 inch pitch, keep all signal traces at least 0.2 mm (8 mil) wide and 0.15 mm clearance from analog inputs (RA0-RA5). Route the 64 MHz Fosc trace (if using external crystal) over a continuous ground plane and avoid crossing analog traces. Provide guard rings around the ADC input traces to reduce digital switching noise coupling into measurements.
The MCLR pin (pin 1) must not be left floating; tie it to VDD through a 10 kohm resistor or drive it actively with a supervisor IC. Floating MCLR is the most common cause of spurious resets in PIC18F designs. Also ensure the ICSP pins RB6/PGD and RB7/PGC are not inadvertently pulled low by external circuitry, which prevents in-circuit programming. Use isolation resistors if necessary.
For ADC accuracy, decouple the AVdd/AVss pins (when used separately) with a 10 uH ferrite bead and parallel 100 nF + 10 uF capacitors. Place the analog ground pour directly under analog traces and connect it to digital ground at a single point (star ground). This typically improves ENOB by 1-2 bits on the 12-bit ADC versus a poorly-grounded layout.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance stated on Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - industrial E temperature grade only. Lead-free (Pb-free) SPDIP package. Microchip's standard conflict-minerals declaration applies.
