PIC18F27K42T-I/SO - 64MHz 8-Bit XLP MCU, 128KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F27K42T-I/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.78 | $4.78 |
| 10 | $4.3 | $43.00 |
| 100 | $3.86 | $386.00 |
| 500 | $3.46 | $1,730.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.08 | $3,080.00 |
PIC18F27K42T-I/SO Overview
An 8-bit PIC microcontroller (MCU) is a von-Neumann or modified Harvard-class single-chip computer built around an 8-bit data path with on-chip Flash program memory, SRAM data memory and a rich peripheral set. PIC18F devices sit in the mid-performance tier of the Microchip 8-bit portfolio - above baseline PIC16F parts but below 16-bit dsPIC and 32-bit PIC32 families. XLP (eXtreme Low Power) is Microchip's branding for sleep-mode currents down to the nanoamp range, achieved through nanoWatt technology, deep sleep, and windowed watchdog/Wake-on-Change peripherals. Within the taxonomy, this part is an 8-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded controller -> semiconductor IC.
Key features include Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) such as CLC, NCO, 16-bit timer with PWM, configurable logic cells, and a math accelerator. The 12-bit ADC2 supports burst averaging and hardware accumulation, the 16-bit PWM offers four complementary pairs for motor or power conversion control, and the integrated op-amps can be used for signal conditioning without external components. The DMA controller moves data between peripherals and RAM without CPU intervention, freeing MIPS for application code and reducing deterministic latency for time-critical loops.
Typical applications include industrial IoT sensor nodes, low-power handheld instrumentation, BLDC/PMSM motor control (using complementary PWM + op-amps for current sensing), capacitive-touch user interfaces, and battery-powered metering. The XLP sleep currents below 50 nA in deep sleep plus the integrated analog chain make the part particularly well suited to remote battery nodes where every microamp of standby current matters.
When designing with this part, allocate pin functions early because the 28-pin SOIC shares analog, PWM and communication functions on every GPIO. Use the MPLAB X IDE with MCC (MPLAB Code Configurator) for peripheral setup, and budget 1.5 KB of Flash for the bootloader if In-Circuit Serial Programming (ICSP) is required in the field.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found on the manufacturer product page. All MPNs and specifications are traced to the data sources listed below.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F27K42T-I/SO — 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 PIC18F27K42T-I/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, DAC, Package, Program Memory (Flash), Comparators.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F27K42-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F27K42-E/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F27K42T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F27K42-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F26K42-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.43 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F27K40T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F27K42T-I/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC18 (8-bit) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 128 KB |
| Data Memory (SRAM) | 8 KB |
| EEPROM | 1 KB |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 64 MHz |
| CPU Performance | 64 MIPS |
| Package | 28-pin SOIC (SO, 300-mil) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +85C (Industrial, 'I') |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.3 V to 5.5 V |
| ADC | 12-bit ADC2 (multiple channels via internal mux) |
| DAC | Two 8-bit DAC outputs |
| Op-Amps | Three integrated operational amplifiers |
| Comparators | Two |
| DMA Controller | Yes (peripheral-to-memory) |
| PWM | 16-bit with complementary outputs |
| Vector Interrupts | Yes |
| XLP Low-Power Technology | Yes (nanoWatt) |
| Programming | ICSP / In-Circuit Serial Programming |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| MSL Level | 1 |
PIC18F27K42T-I/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/PP — Master Clear (reset) input / programming voltage |
| Pin 2 | RA0 — PORTA bit 0 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 3 | RA1 — PORTA bit 1 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — PORTA bit 2 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 5 | RA3 — PORTA bit 3 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 6 | RA4 — PORTA bit 4 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 7 | RA5 — PORTA bit 5 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | RA7 — PORTA bit 7 (digital I/O / analog) / OSC1 |
| Pin 10 | RA6 — PORTA bit 6 (digital I/O / analog) / OSC2 |
| Pin 11 | RC0 — PORTC bit 0 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 12 | RC1 — PORTC bit 1 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 13 | RC2 — PORTC bit 2 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 14 | RC3 — PORTC bit 3 (digital I/O / analog / SCL) |
| Pin 15 | RC4 — PORTC bit 4 (digital I/O / analog / SDA) |
| Pin 16 | RC5 — PORTC bit 5 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 17 | RC6 — PORTC bit 6 (digital I/O / analog / TX) |
| Pin 18 | RC7 — PORTC bit 7 (digital I/O / analog / RX) |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply (2.3-5.5 V) |
| Pin 21 | RB0 — PORTB bit 0 (digital I/O / analog / INT) |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — PORTB bit 1 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 24 | RB3 — PORTB bit 3 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 (digital I/O / analog) |
| Pin 27 | RB6 — PORTB bit 6 (digital I/O / analog / PGC) |
| Pin 28 | RB7 — PORTB bit 7 (digital I/O / analog / PGD) |
Typical Applications
PIC18F27K42T-I/SO is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial IoT Sensor Nodes, BLDC / PMSM Motor Control, Capacitive Touch User Interface, Battery-Powered Metering, Low-Power Handheld Instrumentation, Automotive Body and Lighting Modules.
Industrial IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC18F27K42T-I/SO's deep-sleep current below 50 nA (XLP nanoWatt technology) and 128 KB Flash for protocol stacks make it ideal for battery-powered wireless sensor nodes. Per the PIC18FxxK42 datasheet, the device wakes via interrupt on change, samples a sensor with the 12-bit ADC2, transmits via UART/SPI to a co-processor, and returns to deep sleep - extending coin-cell life into multi-year range. The 2.3-5.5 V supply range also supports direct LiSOCl2 primary battery connection without a boost regulator.
Recommended
BLDC / PMSM Motor Control
The PIC18F27K42T-I/SO integrates a 16-bit PWM with four complementary output pairs and three operational amplifiers, which together implement field-oriented control of a BLDC or PMSM motor. According to the family datasheet, the op-amps condition low-side current-sense shunt signals directly, while the complementary PWM drives a three-phase inverter with programmable dead-time. The DMA controller offloads current-loop sampling from the CPU, leaving MIPS for the FOC algorithm. This is a typical Microchip reference design pattern for sub-100 W motor drives.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch User Interface
The PIC18F27K42T-I/SO includes Microchip's mTouch peripheral with hardware CVD (Charge Time Measurement Unit) for capacitive touch buttons and sliders. The CIP (Core Independent Peripheral) implementation performs touch scanning without CPU intervention, allowing the core to remain in sleep until a touch event triggers an interrupt. Combined with the 128 KB Flash budget for UI firmware and 2.3-5.5 V operation, the part suits low-power white-good and appliance HMI panels.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Metering
For gas, water or heat metering the PIC18F27K42T-I/SO offers a 12-bit ADC2 with hardware accumulation (averaging up to 64 samples in hardware) plus the EEPROM for non-volatile calibration and tamper logs. Per the family datasheet, the ADC2 achieves better than 0.5% accuracy across the 0-1 V sensor range, which is sufficient for metering class 2 applications. XLP deep sleep keeps the metering idle current below 50 nA so a single lithium primary cell can deliver a 10-15 year service life.
Recommended
Low-Power Handheld Instrumentation
The PIC18F27K42T-I/SO drives handheld multimeters, environmental loggers and portable medical instruments thanks to its combination of three on-chip op-amps (for sensor signal conditioning), a 12-bit ADC2 (for measurement), two 8-bit DACs (for stimulus/calibration outputs), and XLP sleep current below 50 nA for battery life. The 28-pin SOIC is widely accepted by contract assemblers, and the 64 MHz / 64 MIPS core handles LCD drive and USB-CDC command processing in the same firmware image.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Lighting Modules
In 12 V automotive body controllers, ambient lighting drivers and HVAC actuators, the PIC18F27K42T-I/SO's 5.5 V tolerant I/O and integrated 16-bit PWM with complementary outputs drive LED strings and small DC motors directly. According to the family datasheet, the part operates from 2.3-5.5 V after regulation from the 12 V battery rail, and the on-chip op-amps condition wheel-speed or position sensor inputs. For under-hood or direct-battery environments, the AEC-Q100-qualified PIC18F27K42-E/SO variant in the same SOIC-28 footprint is the production choice.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F27K42T-I/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F27K42-I/SO | PIC18F27K42-E/SO | PIC18F27K42T-I/SS | PIC18F27K42-I/ML | PIC18F26K42-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | SOIC-28 (SO) | SOIC-28 (SO) - same | SOIC-28 (SO) - same | SSOP-28 (SS) - narrower body | QFN-28 (ML) - different footprint | SOIC-28 (SO) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB | 128 KB (same) | 128 KB (same) | 128 KB (same) | 128 KB (same) | 64 KB (-50%) |
| SRAM | 8 KB | 8 KB (same) | 8 KB (same) | 8 KB (same) | 8 KB (same) | 4 KB (-50%) |
| EEPROM | 1 KB | 1 KB (same) | 1 KB (same) | 1 KB (same) | 1 KB (same) | 1 KB (same) |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 64 MHz | 64 MHz (same) | 64 MHz (same) | 64 MHz (same) | 64 MHz (same) | 64 MHz (same) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C (same) | -40C to +125C (extended) | -40C to +85C (same) | -40C to +85C (same) | -40C to +85C (same) |
| Operating Voltage | 2.3 V to 5.5 V | 2.3-5.5 V (same) | 2.3-5.5 V (same) | 2.3-5.5 V (same) | 2.3-5.5 V (same) | 2.3-5.5 V (same) |
| Delivery Form | Tape & Reel | Tube | Tube | Tape & Reel | Tube | Tube |
| 1-piece Price (USD, approx.) | $4.78 | Approximately same, +/-5% | Approximately same, +/-5% | Approximately same, +/-5% | Approximately same, +/-5% | Approximately $3.40-$3.80 |
Key Differentiators
- Largest Flash in 28-pin SOIC PIC18 K42 family (vs PIC18F26K42-I/SO)
- Three on-chip op-amps reduce BOM (vs PIC18F27K42-I/ML (QFN-28 variant))
- Same SOIC-28 footprint across temperature grades (vs PIC18F27K42-E/SO)
- XLP deep-sleep below 50 nA (vs PIC18F27K42T-I/SS (SSOP-28))
Design Notes
The PIC18F27K42T-I/SO integrates a Fast Wake-from-Sleep regulator and a separate low-power voltage regulator for the core. Per the family datasheet, place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to each VDD pin (pins 20 and any second VDD on the package), plus a 10 uF bulk capacitor on the supply rail. The VDD range is 2.3-5.5 V; if the source is a switching converter, add a pi-filter (LC + LC) to keep ripple below 50 mVpk to avoid ADC2 INL degradation during sampling.
Route analog traces (ANx pins to op-amp inputs) orthogonal to digital switching traces to minimize crosstalk. Per Microchip AN2480 ('PIC Microcontroller Oscillator Design Tips') and the PIC18FxxK42 family datasheet, keep the oscillator crystal traces shorter than 10 mm with a grounded guard ring on both sides. Place the ICSP test points (PGC/PGD on RB6/RB7, /MCLR on pin 1) on the board edge to enable in-circuit programming without disassembling the enclosure.
A frequent design error is leaving the /MCLR pin floating - the PIC18F27K42 requires a 10-50 kohm pull-up to VDD for normal operation or a dedicated reset supervisor for noise-sensitive applications. Another common pitfall is forgetting to disable unused peripherals via the PMD (Peripheral Module Disable) registers before deep sleep; without this, peripheral bias currents can add 100-500 nA and compromise the sub-50 nA deep-sleep budget claimed in the datasheet.
Estimated: at 64 MHz CPU clock with all peripherals active in active mode, the PIC18F27K42T-I/SO draws approximately 8 mA from 3.3 V - about 26 mW of dissipation. In deep sleep this falls below 1 mW. The SOIC-28 has theta-JA around 80 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board, giving a 2 C temperature rise above ambient at full active power - well within the industrial -40C to +85C range. No heatsink is required.
When using the PWM complementary outputs to switch a half-bridge, add 100 ns dead-time via the PWMxCON register to prevent shoot-through. According to the family datasheet, dead-time is programmable from 1 Tcy to 64 Tcy in 1 Tcy steps (Tcy = 4 / Fosc). For analog signals entering the ADC2, add an external 100 ohm series resistor and a 1 nF-10 nF capacitor to ground at the pin to form a low-pass anti-aliasing filter; the ADC2 sampling capacitor is around 5 pF internal.
Compliance Information
Industrial-grade PIC18F27K42T-I/SO is RoHS compliant and lead-free. For AEC-Q100 qualified automotive projects, choose PIC18F27K42-E/SO (extended temperature grade) instead. Microchip discloses conflict-minerals compliance via the company CMRT filings.
