PIC18F45K40-E/ML - 8-Bit 64MHz 32KB Flash MCU QFN-44 | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F45K40-E/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.4 | $2.40 |
| 10 | $2.16 | $21.60 |
| 100 | $1.92 | $192.00 |
| 500 | $1.68 | $840.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.44 | $1,440.00 |
PIC18F45K40-E/ML Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that combines an 8-bit CPU, program memory (Flash/ROM), data memory (RAM), and peripheral interfaces on one die. PIC18F-series MCUs sit within the broader hierarchy: 8-bit microcontroller -> microcontroller -> embedded controller -> semiconductor. They are characterized by Harvard architecture, deterministic instruction execution, and mature toolchains (MPLAB X IDE, XC8 compiler), making them ideal for cost-sensitive and low-power applications.
Key features of the PIC18F45K40-E/ML include Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) such as the Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG), Windowed Watchdog Timer (WWDT), and Configurable Logic Cell (CLC), which offload tasks from the CPU. The eXtreme Low Power (XLP) technology enables deep sleep currents as low as nA, and 5 V tolerance on digital I/O allows direct interface to legacy industrial buses without level shifters.
The device uses a modified Harvard architecture with a 16-bit instruction word and an 8-bit data path, delivering up to 16 MIPS at 64 MHz. The 32 KB self-programmable Flash supports in-application programming (IAP) and the 256-byte EEPROM provides byte-level non-volatile storage for user settings such as calibration constants.
Typical applications include industrial control (sensor interfacing, motor control with CWG), consumer electronics (HMI with segmented LCD driving), IoT edge nodes, automotive body controllers (with PIC18F45K40-E/ML ext-grade variants), and battery-powered metering. The wide 2.3-5.5 V range supports both 3.3 V and 5 V designs.
When designing with this part, pay attention to decoupling: place 100 nF ceramic capacitors adjacent to every VDD/VSS pair, and add a 10 µF bulk capacitor near the IC. The exposed thermal pad on the QFN-44 package must be soldered to a ground copper pour to meet thermal and electrical specifications.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, providing engineers with consolidated selection guidance.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F45K40-E/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 PIC18F45K40-E/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Comparators, Package, Core Architecture, DAC.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F45K40-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F46K40-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F45K40T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F45K22-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$2.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F45K40-E/MV
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1.51 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F45K40-E/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC18, 8-bit RISC |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 64 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 32 KB (32768 bytes) |
| Data RAM | 2 KB (2048 bytes) |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.3 V to 5.5 V |
| Package | QFN-44 (ML) 8x8 mm with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +125 C (Extended, -E suffix) |
| ADC | 10-bit ADC2 (with Computation) |
| DAC | 5-bit DAC |
| Comparators | Yes |
| PWM Channels | Yes (CCP, CWG) |
| I/O Pins | 36 |
| Core Independent Peripherals | CWG, WWDT, CRC/SCAN, HLT, CLC |
| Instruction Set | PIC18 (16-bit instructions) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18F45K40-E/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2 — Port A bit 2 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 2 | RA3 — Port A bit 3 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 3 | RA4 — Port A bit 4 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 4 | RA5 — Port A bit 5 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 5 | RA6 — Port A bit 6 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 6 | RA7 — Port A bit 7 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 8 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 9 | RA0 — Port A bit 0 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 10 | RA1 — Port A bit 1 (analog/digital I/O) |
| Pin 11 | RB0 — Port B bit 0 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 12 | RB1 — Port B bit 1 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 13 | RB2 — Port B bit 2 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 14 | RB3 — Port B bit 3 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 15 | RB4 — Port B bit 4 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 16 | RB5 — Port B bit 5 (interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 17 | RB6 — Port B bit 6 (ICSCLK / interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 18 | RB7 — Port B bit 7 (ICSDAT / interrupt-on-change) |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 21 | RC0 — Port C bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 22 | RC1 — Port C bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 23 | RC2 — Port C bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 24 | RC3 — Port C bit 3 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 25 | RC4 — Port C bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 26 | RC5 — Port C bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 27 | RC6 — Port C bit 6 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 28 | RC7 — Port C bit 7 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 29 | RE3 — Port E bit 3 (MCLR/ICSP programming) |
| Pin 30 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 31 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 32 | RD0 — Port D bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 33 | RD1 — Port D bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 34 | RD2 — Port D bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 35 | RD3 — Port D bit 3 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 36 | RD4 — Port D bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 37 | RD5 — Port D bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 38 | RD6 — Port D bit 6 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 39 | RD7 — Port D bit 7 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 40 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 41 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 42 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 43 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 44 | EP — Exposed thermal pad - connect to VSS |
Typical Applications
PIC18F45K40-E/ML is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Sensor Interface Controller, Battery-Powered IoT Edge Node, Automotive Body and Interior Module, Consumer Human-Machine Interface (HMI), Motor Control and PWM Driver, Smart Metering and Energy Monitoring.
Industrial Sensor Interface Controller
The PIC18F45K40-E/ML fits industrial sensor interface controllers thanks to its 10-bit ADC2 with computation, five-bit DAC, and Core Independent Peripherals that offload averaging from the CPU. Its 2.3 V to 5.5 V supply range tolerates 24 V industrial buses after external regulation, and the -40 to +125 C extended temperature range handles factory-floor thermal stress. A 32 KB Flash budget supports Modbus RTU or IO-Link device stacks, while 2 KB RAM buffers sensor samples before transmission. The CWG peripheral generates precision excitation waveforms for bridge sensors such as load cells and strain gauges. Compared with discrete op-amp+ADC solutions, the integrated ADC2 reduces BOM cost and PCB area. Reference design: PIC18F45K40 Curiosity Nano board (DM182027) accelerates prototyping.
Recommended
Battery-Powered IoT Edge Node
The PIC18F45K40-E/ML is well matched to battery-powered IoT edge nodes because of its eXtreme Low Power (XLP) technology, which delivers sleep currents in the nA range and active currents around 100 µA/MHz at 1.8 V. The Windowed Watchdog Timer (WWDT) and Hardware Limit Timer (HLT) provide autonomous supervision without waking the CPU. Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) allows flexible signal routing to minimize external wiring. The 32 KB Flash holds a lightweight LoRaWAN or BLE-beacon protocol stack, while the 256-byte EEPROM stores device credentials. At an average 0.1% duty cycle, a CR2032 cell can power the node for several years. The QFN-44 (ML) package with exposed pad provides low thermal resistance and compact PCB area.
Recommended
Automotive Body and Interior Module
Automotive body and interior modules benefit from the PIC18F45K40-E/ML extended temperature grade (-40 to +125 C) and rich Core Independent Peripherals. The CWG drives MOSFET half-bridges for window lifters and seat adjusters, while the CCP/PWM modules control LED backlighting with smooth dimming. The 10-bit ADC2 with computation oversamples battery voltage and current sensors for state-of-charge estimation. LIN bus connectivity is implemented via the EUSART and a LIN software stack in Flash. Note: for AEC-Q100 qualification, Microchip offers the PIC18F45K40-E/ML ext-grade but designers should verify with the manufacturer whether specific automotive PPAP documentation is required for the target tier.
Recommended
Consumer Human-Machine Interface (HMI)
The PIC18F45K40-E/ML serves consumer HMI panels (appliance controls, smart thermostats) by combining capacitive touch via the on-chip comparators, PWM for LED indicators, and UART for display driver ICs. Its 5 V-tolerant I/O interfaces directly to legacy LED segment drivers, and the 32 KB Flash holds a touch-sensing library plus UI state machine. The CLC peripheral implements custom logic (e.g., button de-bounce, glitch filters) without external gates, reducing BOM cost. With 2 KB RAM, the part drives small graphical menus stored in external SPI Flash. The QFN-44 8x8 mm footprint fits behind touch panels in tight form factors.
Recommended
Motor Control and PWM Driver
Motor control applications such as small BLDC fans, pumps, and hobby servos benefit from the PIC18F45K40-E/ML Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG), which produces complementary PWM outputs with programmable dead time for driving half-bridges. The 10-bit ADC2 samples back-EMF for sensorless commutation, while the 5-bit DAC sets reference thresholds. The 64 MHz CPU (16 MIPS) executes field-oriented control (FOC) loops in firmware. The CLC generates hardware interlocks for overcurrent protection, and the WWDT ensures the firmware recovers from fault conditions. The QFN-44 exposed pad provides thermal dissipation for moderate continuous motor currents under 1 A.
Recommended
Smart Metering and Energy Monitoring
Smart electricity meters and sub-metering modules use the PIC18F45K40-E/ML for its high-resolution ADC2 (oversampling to ~12-bit effective), 32 KB Flash for IEC 62056 / DLMS data structures, and 256-byte EEPROM for tariff table storage. The CLC implements tamper-detection logic by comparing voltage and current phase relationships in hardware, freeing the CPU for metrology calculations. The extended -40 to +125 C rating supports outdoor meter enclosures. The on-chip 5-bit DAC generates calibration offsets during production testing. The QFN-44 footprint allows compact PCB layouts alongside shunt resistors and current transformers.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F45K40-E/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F45K40-I/ML | PIC18F46K40-I/ML | PIC18F45K40T-I/ML | PIC18F45K22-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | QFN-44 (ML) 8x8 mm | QFN-44 (ML) - same | QFN-44 (ML) - same | QFN-44 (ML) - same | QFN-44 (ML) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Core | PIC18 8-bit, 64 MHz | PIC18 8-bit, 64 MHz | PIC18 8-bit, 64 MHz | PIC18 8-bit, 64 MHz | PIC18 8-bit, 64 MHz |
| Flash Program Memory | 32 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB |
| Data RAM | 2 KB | 2 KB | 4 KB | 2 KB | 1.5 KB |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 256 bytes |
| Temperature Grade | Extended -40 to +125 C | Industrial -40 to +85 C | Industrial -40 to +85 C | Industrial -40 to +85 C | Industrial -40 to +85 C |
| Core Independent Peripherals | CWG, CLC, WWDT, ADC2, HLT, SCAN/CRC | CWG, CLC, WWDT, ADC2, HLT, SCAN/CRC | CWG, CLC, WWDT, ADC2, HLT, SCAN/CRC | CWG, CLC, WWDT, ADC2, HLT, SCAN/CRC | Limited (no CLC, ADC2, HLT, SCAN/CRC) |
Key Differentiators
- Richest Core Independent Peripheral (CIP) set in PIC18F 44-pin class (vs PIC18F45K22-I/ML)
- Extended temperature range vs I-grade alternatives (vs PIC18F45K40-I/ML)
- Larger memory headroom than direct Flash-size peers (vs PIC18F45K22-I/ML)
Design Notes
Place a 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 3 mm of each VDD pin (QFN-44 has multiple VDD/VSS pairs on pins 8/7, 20/19, 31/30, and 42/40). Add a single 10 µF bulk tantalum or ceramic capacitor near the IC. For low-noise analog performance, separate AVDD/AVSS pins (not present on this part; AVCC is internally tied) by using a ferrite bead to isolate the digital supply. Keep the exposed thermal pad (pin 44) soldered to a VSS copper pour of at least 1 square cm for thermal dissipation and ground return.
Common design pitfalls with the PIC18F45K40-E/ML include: (1) omitting the 10 kohm pull-up on MCLR (pin 1) which prevents reliable reset; (2) failing to populate the 10 µF bulk cap near the IC, causing brown-out during inrush; (3) leaving ICSCLK/ICSDAT (RB6/RB7) without consideration for in-circuit programming access; (4) confusing the -E extended temperature suffix with -I industrial (E=-40 to +125 C, I=-40 to +85 C). Always order the correct suffix for the target environment.
For QFN-44 (ML) PCB layout, use a 0.4 mm pitch land pattern with 0.2 mm x 0.5 mm thermal pad openings per IPC-7351. The exposed pad must be soldered with stencil apertures covering 50-70% of the pad area to ensure proper solder joint formation. Place a ground plane directly under the IC spanning at least 2x the package area. Keep high-speed signals (PWM, oscillator) short and routed over a continuous ground plane. The 16 MHz HFINTOSC internal oscillator is sufficient for most applications; if using an external crystal, keep traces within 5 mm and surround with a guard ring.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free confirmed per Microchip product page. AEC-Q100 is not formally qualified at the automotive tier; -E extended temperature grade supports automotive body/interior use cases where AEC-Q100 PPAP documentation is not required. Confirm with Microchip factory for specific automotive program requirements.
