PIC18F442-E/P - 8-bit 16KB Flash MCU, 40MHz | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F442-E/P ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| 10 | $6.85 | $68.50 |
| 100 | $6.1 | $610.00 |
| 500 | $5.5 | $2,750.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.95 | $4,950.00 |
PIC18F442-E/P Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip processor that integrates a CPU, program memory, data memory, I/O peripherals, and timers on a single silicon die, optimized for deterministic control of digital and analog signals in embedded systems. The PIC18F family is Microchip Technology's enhanced mid-range architecture, sitting in the taxonomy Microcontroller -> 8-bit MCU -> RISC MCU -> Flash MCU. It is upwards software-compatible with the PIC16C5X, PIC12CXXX, PIC16CXX and PIC17CXX devices, which provides a seamless migration path for code carried over from earlier designs.
Key differentiating features include nanoWatt power-management technology for low-power sleep modes, an integrated 10-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) with 8 input channels, two Capture/Compare/PWM (CCP) modules, a synchronous serial port configurable as 3-wire SPI or 2-wire I2C, and 36 digital I/O pins shared across the 40-pin footprint. The device also offers self-programmability via the In-Circuit Debugger (ICD) interface and 256 bytes of non-volatile EEPROM for parameter storage.
Architecturally, the PIC18F442 uses an enhanced Harvard bus with separate program and data memories, a hardware multiplier, and an 8-bit data path feeding a 16-bit instruction word. The on-chip Flash supports self-programming so the same controller can update its firmware in the field. Compared with the original PIC18F442, the "-E" suffix denotes the extended temperature grade (-40C to +125C) which gives the part automotive and heavy-industrial reach beyond the standard 0C to +70C PIC18F442-I variant.
Typical applications include industrial sensor conditioning loops, motor control with PWM feedback, automotive body and chassis nodes, HVAC controllers, and white-goods user-interface panels. The extended temperature grade also makes the -E/P designation a common choice for any application that has to operate reliably outdoors or in a sealed enclosure.
When designing with this part, confirm that the 5V-only supply range (4.2-5.5V) suits your rail - it is not usable in modern 3.3V-only systems without an LDO upstream. Place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor on each VDD pin as close to the package as possible, and route MCLR with a 10 kohm pull-up and a 100 nF cap to ground for clean device-reset behaviour.
This page combines distributor pricing, drop-in PIC18 alternatives that share the 40-pin PDIP footprint, and design notes not bundled in the bare manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F442-E/P — 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 PIC18F442-E/P (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Operating Temperature, Timers, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F4420-E/P
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F442-I/P
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F4423-E/P
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.68 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F43K20-E/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.51 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F4410-I/P
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.7 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F442-E/P Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Type | 8-bit RISC Flash Microcontroller |
| Series | PIC18F |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB (8K x 16) |
| RAM | 768 bytes |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 40 MHz (10 MIPS) |
| Instruction Cycle | 100 ns |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 4.2 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 34 (package); up to 36 |
| ADC | 10-bit, 8 channels |
| CCP/PWM Modules | 2 |
| Serial Interfaces | SPI / I2C (MSSP), USART |
| Timers | 4 (Timer0/1/2/3) |
| Package | 40-pin PDIP (0.600 in / 15.24 mm) |
| Temperature Grade | Extended (-40C to +125C) |
| Mounting Type | Through-Hole (DIP) |
PIC18F442-E/P Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR — Master Clear (Reset) input |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2 — Digital I/O / Analog input channel 2 |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — Digital I/O / Analog input 3 / ADC Vref+ |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI — Digital I/O / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 7 | RA5/AN4/SS — Digital I/O / Analog input 4 / SPI slave select |
| Pin 8 | RE0/RD/AN5 — Port E bit 0 / Parallel slave port read / Analog input 5 |
| Pin 9 | RE1/WR/AN6 — Port E bit 1 / Parallel slave port write / Analog input 6 |
| Pin 10 | RE2/CS/AN7 — Port E bit 2 / Parallel slave port CS / Analog input 7 |
| Pin 11 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (4.2-5.5 V) |
| Pin 12 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 13 | OSC1/CLKIN — Crystal oscillator input / external clock in |
| Pin 14 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Crystal oscillator output / clock out |
| Pin 15 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI — Port C bit 0 / Timer1 oscillator output |
| Pin 16 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — Port C bit 1 / Timer1 oscillator input / CCP2 |
| Pin 17 | RC2/CCP1 — Port C bit 2 / CCP1 PWM output |
| Pin 18 | RC3/SCK/SCL — Port C bit 3 / SPI SCK / I2C SCL |
| Pin 19 | RD0/PSP0 — Port D bit 0 / Parallel slave port data bit |
| Pin 20 | RD1/PSP1 — Port D bit 1 / Parallel slave port data bit |
| Pin 21 | RD2/PSP2 — Port D bit 2 / Parallel slave port data bit |
| Pin 22 | RD3/PSP3 — Port D bit 3 / Parallel slave port data bit |
| Pin 23 | RC4/SDI/SDA — Port C bit 4 / SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 24 | RC5/SDO — Port C bit 5 / SPI data out |
| Pin 25 | RC6/TX/CK — Port C bit 6 / USART TX / clock |
| Pin 26 | RC7/RX/DT — Port C bit 7 / USART RX / data |
| Pin 27 | RD4/PSP4 — Port D bit 4 / Parallel slave port data bit |
| Pin 28 | RD5/PSP5 — Port D bit 5 / Parallel slave port data bit |
| Pin 29 | RD6/PSP6 — Port D bit 6 / Parallel slave port data bit |
| Pin 30 | RD7/PSP7 — Port D bit 7 / Parallel slave port data bit |
| Pin 31 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 32 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (4.2-5.5 V) |
| Pin 33 | RB0/INT0 — Port B bit 0 / External interrupt 0 |
| Pin 34 | RB1/INT1 — Port B bit 1 / External interrupt 1 |
| Pin 35 | RB2/INT2 — Port B bit 2 / External interrupt 2 |
| Pin 36 | RB3/CCP2 — Port B bit 3 / CCP2 (alternate) |
| Pin 37 | RB4 — Port B bit 4 |
| Pin 38 | RB5 — Port B bit 5 |
| Pin 39 | RB6/PGC — Port B bit 6 / ICD clock |
| Pin 40 | RB7/PGD — Port B bit 7 / ICD data |
Typical Applications
PIC18F442-E/P is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Sensor Conditioning, Automotive Body and Chassis Modules, HVAC and White-Goods Controllers, Motor Control PWM Front-Ends, Access Control and User-Interface Panels, Data Logging and Instrumentation.
Industrial Sensor Conditioning
The PIC18F442-E/P's 10-bit ADC with 8 input channels, 34 digital I/O lines, and 4.2-5.5 V supply make it a natural fit for industrial 4-20 mA sensor-conditioning boards. The 16 KB Flash holds the full linearization, PID and HMI host-protocol stacks without needing external memory, while two CCP modules generate precise excitation clocks for strain-gauge and RTD bridges. The -E temperature grade (-40C to +125C) lets the same board live in sealed panels mounted next to motors and contactors. Most conditioning loops run well below 40 MHz, so the part's 10 MIPS headroom means sub-millisecond scan times per channel.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Chassis Modules
The PIC18F442-E/P's -40C to +125C extended temperature grade and 5 V supply tolerance map directly to automotive body and chassis nodes such as interior lighting controllers, seat-position modules, and HVAC blend-door actuators. Two CCP/PWM peripherals can drive a brush DC motor and read its back-EMF quadrature simultaneously, while the 8-channel 10-bit ADC samples up to 8 analog sensors (position, temperature, current) in a 200 us burst. The USART links the module to a CAN/LIN transceiver in the vehicle network, and the on-chip EEPROM (256 bytes) stores calibration constants between power cycles. Same-Package partners like the PIC18F4410-I/P extend longevity into newer vehicle programs.
Recommended
HVAC and White-Goods Controllers
The PIC18F442-E/P powers HVAC wall thermostats and white-goods user-interface boards where 16 KB Flash comfortably holds the menu engine, the scheduling logic and the EEPROM-backed user profile. The MSSP peripheral handles the SPI bus to an LCD driver or 2-wire I2C bus to an EEPROM/RTC combo, while the USART often bridges to a Wi-Fi module. The device's ability to wake from sleep, do temperature conversions and go back to sleep lets the same controller support both the always-on backlight and battery-powered remote thermostats. The -E temp grade is critical for outdoor heat-pump controllers that sit in -20C winters and +80C roof-line summers.
Recommended
Motor Control PWM Front-Ends
The PIC18F442-E/P's two CCP/PWM peripherals and 8 analog inputs support simple DC-motor and brushed-motor controllers, where the firmware implements a feedback loop reading current sense and driving direction/relay outputs. The 10 MIPS throughput gives 100 ns instruction cycle time, enough to execute a current-loop update every 50 us without overrunning the timer. The 256-byte EEPROM provides fault-log storage across brown-outs, and the extended temperature grade supports under-the-hood PMDC water-pump controllers used in heavy-equipment and E-bike auxiliary pumps. For vector-control or field-oriented-control, prefer a newer dsPIC33 partner instead.
Recommended
Access Control and User-Interface Panels
Door-access controllers, keypad entry panels and industrial HMI screens pair naturally with the PIC18F442-E/P's 34 I/O lines, MSSP SPI/I2C and USART. The 16 KB Flash comfortably stores the keypad scanner, the 4-digit 7-segment driver, the Wiegand-card reader interface and an EEPROM-backed audit log. The -E temperature grade allows outdoor housings (gate keypads, parking arms, factory-floor keypads) without derating. The MSSP peripheral runs a 4-MHz SPI bus to a graphical OLED display, while the USART talks to an external Ethernet module for cloud-managed access lists.
Recommended
Data Logging and Instrumentation
Portable test-and-measurement tools benefit from the PIC18F442-E/P's mix of on-chip peripherals, low cost and 40-pin PDIP easy-solder footprint. The 10-bit ADC, USART for an RS-485 link, and the 256-byte EEPROM let the controller sample, timestamp and store data while the user navigates menus. The 5V supply rail simplifies USB-powered tools where a 3.3 V regulator would not leave enough headroom for op-amp-based front-ends. The extended-temperature grade is critical for in-cabinet / outdoor temperature-logger use cases that face -20C to +70C swings without active cooling.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F442-E/P — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F4420-E/P | PIC18F442-I/P | PIC18F4423-E/P | PIC18F43K20-E/PT | PIC18F4410-I/P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 40-pin PDIP | PDIP-40 - same | PDIP-40 - same | PDIP-40 - same | PDIP-40 - same | PDIP-40 - same |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 8 KB (-50%) | 8 KB (-50%) | 16 KB |
| Operating Voltage (VDD) | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V (wider) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V (lower) | 2.0 V to 5.5 V (wider) |
| Temperature Grade | Extended -40C to +125C | Extended -40C to +125C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Extended -40C to +125C | Extended -40C to +125C | Industrial -40C to +85C |
Key Differentiators
- Extended -E temperature grade for automotive and outdoor industrial nodes (vs PIC18F442-I/P)
- Doubled RAM for richer firmware without changing footprint (vs PIC18F4420-E/P)
- Lower-voltage operation without losing the PIC18 instruction set (vs PIC18F4423-E/P)
Design Notes
The PIC18F442-E/P requires a single 4.2 V to 5.5 V rail; it will not operate on modern 3.3 V-only boards without adding an LDO (for example, MCP1700 or MCP1825) upstream. Place a 100 nF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to each VDD pin (pins 11 and 32) and a bulk 1-10 uF cap on the rail near the supply entry point. According to Microchip, average current in normal RUN mode is about 8 mA at 40 MHz / 5 V, so a small LDO at 250 mA is more than sufficient.
For the 40-pin PDIP footprint, route MCLR (pin 1) with a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD and a 100 nF cap to ground to give clean power-on reset behaviour and to keep the device out of programming mode after reset. Keep crystal traces (OSC1/OSC2) short and symmetric to ground, and add a guard ring around the crystal traces if the board also carries switching regulator or relay traces. According to the PIC18F datasheet, programming the configuration bits correctly is essential - a wrong FOSC setting is the most common reason PIC18F boards fail to come up at all.
Common pitfalls on PIC18F442-E/P designs include: (1) using 3.3 V only without an LDO, (2) leaving pins RA4 (open-drain) floating when used as I/O, (3) forgetting that RA3 doubles as VREF+ for ADC, (4) misconfiguring CCP2/PWM2 between RB3 and RC1 paths, (5) leaving unused I/O in input mode without a defined level (causes excess I_DD), and (6) accidentally enabling the parallel slave port (PSP) when DSP-style reads are not in use. According to Microchip, leaving unused I/O as outputs at logic-low is the recommended default for noise-immunity reasons.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Hotenda and Microchip product page (lead-free finish). The part is in the automotive -40C to +125C extended temperature grade, but is not specifically AEC-Q100 qualified - confirm automotive compliance with Microchip if your build requires formal certification.
