PIC18F4680T-I/ML - 8-Bit 40MHz MCU, 64KB Flash, ECAN, 44-QFN
MPN: PIC18F4680T-I/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $9.4 | $9.40 |
| 10 | $8.46 | $84.60 |
| 100 | $7.52 | $752.00 |
| 500 | $6.78 | $3,390.00 |
| 1,000 | $6.35 | $6,350.00 |
PIC18F4680T-I/ML Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, program memory (Flash/ROM), data memory (RAM), timers, communication peripherals (UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, USB), analog peripherals (ADC, comparators), and digital I/O onto one silicon die. PIC18 microcontrollers use a RISC-based Harvard architecture with separate program and data buses, enabling most instructions to execute in a single instruction cycle. In the broader hierarchy, the PIC18F4680 belongs to: 8-bit microcontroller -> microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor -> electronic component.
Key differentiating features include ECAN 2.0B active controller with multiple transmit/receive buffers, the nanoWatt power-managed sleep modes with ultra-low standby current, 10 MIPS throughput at 40 MHz, 1024 bytes of EEPROM for non-volatile data storage without external serial EEPROM, and an internal oscillator selectable via configuration fuses. The wide 4.2V to 5.5V supply range suits automotive and industrial 5V systems. The 44-QFN (8x8 mm) footprint with exposed thermal pad reduces board area versus TQFP-44 alternatives by approximately 35% and improves thermal dissipation.
Typical applications include automotive body and chassis ECAN nodes, OBD-II diagnostic interfaces, industrial CAN-bopen slave devices, building automation controllers, and LIN-based sensor nodes. The 5V-tolerant digital I/O simplifies connection to legacy 5V logic, while the 12-bit ADC provides sufficient resolution for sensor conditioning without an external analog front end.
When designing with this device, verify Vdd decoupling is placed within 5 mm of the pins and that MCLR is pulled high through a 10-50 kohm resistor with a 100 nF capacitor for reliable reset operation. The ECAN module requires a CAN transceiver IC (such as MCP2551 or MCP2561) external to the MCU; the PIC18F4680 does not include the physical-layer transceiver.
This page consolidates distributor pricing, same-brand and cross-brand drop-in alternatives in the 44-QFN footprint, and practical design notes not found in any single manufacturer datasheet, providing an unbiased comparison reference for procurement and engineering teams.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F4680T-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 PIC18F4680T-I/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Operating Temperature, Package, Program Memory (Flash), Timers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F4680-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F4680T-E/ML
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PIC18F4480T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F4685T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F4585T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F4682T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F4680T-I/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Type | 8-bit Microcontroller (MCU) |
| Family | PIC18F |
| Core Architecture | PIC18 RISC (Harvard) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 64 KB (32K x 16) |
| SRAM | 3328 bytes |
| Data EEPROM | 1024 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 40 MHz (10 MIPS) |
| Supply Voltage (Vdd) | 4.2 V to 5.5 V |
| Digital I/O Pins | 36 |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 11 channels |
| CAN Module | ECAN 2.0B Active |
| Communication Peripherals | ECAN, USART (LIN), MSSP (I2C/SPI) |
| Timers | Timer0/1/2/3 + Watchdog Timer |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial, "I") |
| Package | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) with exposed pad ("ML") |
| Package Type Suffix | T = Tape & Reel |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Internal Oscillator | Yes, configurable via fuses |
| Power-Saving Modes | nanoWatt (sleep/alternate/ultra-low) |
PIC18F4680T-I/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | OSC1/CLKI/RA7 — External oscillator input or general I/O |
| Pin 2 | OSC2/CLKO/RA6 — External oscillator output or general I/O |
| Pin 3 | MCLR/RE3 — Master Clear reset input (active-low) or digital-only I/O |
| Pin 4 | RA0/AN0/C1IN+ — Digital I/O / analog input 0 / comparator input |
| Pin 5 | RA1/AN1/C2IN+ — Digital I/O / analog input 1 / comparator input |
| Pin 6 | RA2/AN2/C2IN-/CVref — Digital I/O / analog input 2 / comparator reference |
| Pin 7 | RA3/AN3/C1IN0+/Vref+ — Digital I/O / analog input 3 / ADC Vref+ |
| Pin 8 | RA4/AN4/T0CKI/C1OUT — Digital I/O / analog input 4 / Timer0 clock / comparator output |
| Pin 9 | RA5/AN5/SS/LVDIN/C2OUT — Digital I/O / analog input 5 / SPI slave select / comparator output |
| Pin 10 | Vdd — Power supply +5V |
| Pin 11 | Vss — Ground (digital) |
| Pin 12 | RB0/AN12/INT0 — Digital I/O / external interrupt 0 |
| Pin 13 | RB1/AN10/INT1 — Digital I/O / external interrupt 1 |
| Pin 14 | RB2/AN8/INT2/CANTX — Digital I/O / ECAN transmit output |
| Pin 15 | RB3/AN9/INT3/CANRX — Digital I/O / ECAN receive input |
| Pin 16 | RB4/AN11 — Digital I/O / analog input 11 |
| Pin 17 | RB5/KBI1/PGM — Digital I/O / interrupt-on-change / LVP programming |
| Pin 18 | RB6/KBI2/PGC — Digital I/O / ICSP clock |
| Pin 19 | RB7/KBI3/PGD — Digital I/O / ICSP data |
| Pin 20 | RC0/CTX1/T1CKI — Digital I/O / ECAN TX (alt) / Timer1 input |
| Pin 21 | RC1/RX1/DT1 — Digital I/O / ECAN RX (alt) / sync serial clock |
| Pin 22 | RC2/CCP1 — Digital I/O / Capture/Compare/PWM 1 |
| Pin 23 | RC3/SCK/SCL — Digital I/O / SPI clock / I2C clock |
| Pin 24 | RC4/SDI/SDA — Digital I/O / SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 25 | RC5/SDO — Digital I/O / SPI data out |
| Pin 26 | RC6/TX1/CK1 — Digital I/O / USART1 async transmit |
| Pin 27 | RC7/RX1/DT1 — Digital I/O / USART1 async receive |
| Pin 28 | RE0/RD/AN6 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port read / analog input |
| Pin 29 | RE1/WR/AN7 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port write / analog input |
| Pin 30 | RE2/CS/AN5 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port chip select |
| Pin 31 | AVdd — Analog power supply (tie to Vdd) |
| Pin 32 | AVss — Analog ground (tie to Vss) |
| Pin 33 | RD0/PSP0/C1IN+ — Digital I/O / parallel slave port bit 0 |
| Pin 34 | RD1/PSP1/C2IN+ — Digital I/O / parallel slave port bit 1 |
| Pin 35 | RD2/PSP2 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port bit 2 |
| Pin 36 | RD3/PSP3 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port bit 3 |
| Pin 37 | RD4/PSP4/ECCP1 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port bit 4 / Enhanced CCP |
| Pin 38 | RD5/PSP5 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port bit 5 |
| Pin 39 | RD6/PSP6 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port bit 6 |
| Pin 40 | RD7/PSP7 — Digital I/O / parallel slave port bit 7 |
| Pin 41 | RF6/AN11 — Digital I/O / analog input 11 (alt) |
| Pin 42 | RF7/SS1 — Digital I/O / SPI1 slave select |
| Pin 43 | Vss — Ground (digital) |
| Pin 44 | Vdd — Power supply +5V |
Typical Applications
PIC18F4680T-I/ML is suitable for 6 applications: Automotive ECAN Node (Body/Chassis), OBD-II Diagnostic / Scan Tool Interface, Industrial CAN-bus Slave / Building Automation, LIN-based Sensor / Actuator Node, USB-less Serial Protocol Bridge / SPI-to-UART, Industrial Control HMI Front-End.
Automotive ECAN Node (Body/Chassis)
The PIC18F4680T-I/ML's ECAN 2.0B Active controller with multiple transmit/receive buffers and acceptance filters makes it ideal as a body- and chassis-level CAN node controller in automotive applications where 5V tolerance, industrial temperature range (-40C to +85C), and 64 KB Flash are required. The MCU runs at 10 MIPS, providing enough cycles to handle CAN message scheduling plus LIN slave-side processing, and the 12-bit ADC with up to 11 channels can read 3-5 sensor inputs (temperature, position, switch) without external components. In a typical body control module the PIC18F4680T-I/ML sits between the MCP2561 CAN transceiver and the actuator loads, processing ECU commands over ECAN and replying with sensor status; the tape-and-reel "T" packaging suits high-volume automotive assembly lines. This combination provides a footprint-efficient QFN-based node for powertrain-adjacent or body-comfort networks where PWM-controlled actuators or fan drivers are also present.
Recommended
OBD-II Diagnostic / Scan Tool Interface
The PIC18F4680T-I/ML directly supports OBD-II onboard diagnostics thanks to its on-die ECAN controller, LIN-capable USART, and ample Flash (64 KB) for OBD-II/SAE J1979 PID parsing. The 12-bit ADC captures analog signals from sensors, while the 1024 bytes of EEPROM reliably store vehicle identification, calibration tables, and fault codes across power cycles; the 3328 B SRAM buffers burst CAN traffic during PID polling. When the device is placed at the diagnostic link connector, a low-side driver IC may be switched externally while the ECAN module decodes the request-response frames autonomously. Compared to using an external stand-alone CAN controller, the integrated ECAN saves PCB area and BOM cost. This application benefits from the QFN footprint for compact handheld scan tools where chassis size is a primary constraint.
Recommended
Industrial CAN-bus Slave / Building Automation
In industrial CAN-bus networks and building-automation controllers, the PIC18F4680T-I/ML operates reliably across the full industrial -40C to +85C range, with 5V-tolerant I/O simplifying interface to legacy 5V industrial buses. Its 10 MIPS core plus on-die ECAN provides deterministic real-time response for HVAC damper control, lighting ballast control, and access-control modules where Modbus/CAN bridging is needed. The 36 digital I/O pins directly drive relay drivers, opto-coupled inputs, and rotary encoder inputs without an external I/O expander, and the 12-bit ADC reads 0-10 V sensor inputs through a simple resistor divider. Combined with nanoWatt sleep modes (sub-microamp standby), the device is well-suited to battery-backed or solar-powered building nodes. The QFN exposed thermal pad enables continuous 40 MHz operation inside enclosed control panels without active cooling.
Recommended
LIN-based Sensor / Actuator Node
The PIC18F4680T-I/ML's LIN-capable USART plus 12-bit ADC make it ideal for LIN-based sensor and actuator nodes common in automotive door modules, seat controllers, and HVAC flaps where LIN is the dominant sub-bus. The 64 KB Flash accommodates LIN-stack plus application-specific signal processing (PWM generation, low-frequency filtering) without external memory. Its 5V-tolerant I/O connects directly to LIN transceivers (MCP2003/MCP2025) and the ECAN module is deactivated to reclaim pins for additional PWM outputs. In a power-window module, the MCU drives H-bridge FETs via PWM using on-chip timers and reports window position over LIN. The exposed thermal pad of the 44-QFN package supports the continuous current-driving capability needed for repeated actuator cycles.
Recommended
USB-less Serial Protocol Bridge / SPI-to-UART
Although the PIC18F4680T-I/ML lacks native USB, its MSSP (I2C/SPI) and USART make it a common choice as a serial protocol bridge - converting SPI or I2C peripherals to UART/USB-attached hosts. The 64 KB Flash accommodates dual-stack protocol firmware, while the 1024-byte EEPROM allows tunable baud rates and protocol parameters to be stored across reboots. The 12-bit ADC enables a digital/analog hybrid role such as HVAC controllers where the chip both adapts sensor SPI to a CAN master and generates PWM outputs for fan speed control. The 44-QFN footprint suits compact industrial sensor hubs placed inline on backplanes.
Recommended
Industrial Control HMI Front-End
In human-machine interface (HMI) front-ends like industrial keypads, dial controllers, and small numerical displays, the PIC18F4680T-I/ML provides ample Flash and RAM to drive LCD or LED matrix displays, while the ECAN module communicates field status back to a master PLC. The exposed thermal pad of the 44-QFN package handles the inrush heating of multiplexed LED matrices, and the 36 I/O drive the matrix rows/columns directly without an external display driver. The 12-bit ADC reads rotary encoder analog taps or touch-sensor signals; the nanoWatt power-managed sleep extends battery life in wireless or PoE-attached HMIs. The QFN footprint integrates well on double-sided panels where TQFP-44 alternatives would consume excessive board area.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F4680T-I/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F4680-I/ML | PIC18F4680T-E/ML | PIC18F4480T-I/ML | PIC18F4685T-I/ML | PIC18F4585T-I/ML | PIC18F4682T-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same |
| Flash Program Memory | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 32 KB (-50%) | 96 KB (+50%) | 48 KB (-25%) | 80 KB (+25%) |
| SRAM | 3328 bytes | 3328 bytes | 3328 bytes | 1920 bytes (-42%) | 3328 bytes | 3328 bytes | 3328 bytes |
| Data EEPROM | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes |
| CPU Max Speed | 40 MHz / 10 MIPS | 40 MHz / 10 MIPS | 40 MHz / 10 MIPS | 40 MHz / 10 MIPS | 40 MHz / 10 MIPS | 40 MHz / 10 MIPS | 40 MHz / 10 MIPS |
| 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 | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 4.2 V to 5.5 V | 4.2 V to 5.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +125C (Extended) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
| CAN Module | ECAN 2.0B Active | ECAN 2.0B Active | ECAN 2.0B Active | ECAN 2.0B Active | ECAN 2.0B Active | ECAN 2.0B Active | ECAN 2.0B Active |
| Approx. Qty-1 Price (USD, as of 2026-09-28) | $9.40 | $9.10 | $10.25 | $8.85 | $10.10 | $9.20 | $9.65 |
Key Differentiators
- Highest Flash density among Microchip 44-QFN ECAN pinout members in its tier (vs PIC18F4585T-I/ML)
- Industrial temperature rating matches tape-and-reel mass-production needs while keeping PCB footprint (vs PIC18F4680T-E/ML)
- Perfect mid-density Flash alternative to 32 KB PIC18F4480 family (vs PIC18F4480T-I/ML)
Design Notes
Power-supply decoupling for PIC18F4680T-I/ML: place a 100 nF X7R ceramic capacitor within 5 mm of each Vdd/AVdd pin pair, and add a single bulk 10 uF tantalum or aluminum-polymer capacitor within 25 mm of the package. The Microchip datasheet specifies Vdd = 4.2 V to 5.5 V; the AVdd pin must be tied to Vdd with its own dedicated 100 nF + 10 uF filter, and AVss tied to Vss, to keep ADC reference noise below 1 LSB at 12-bit resolution. Estimated AVdd ripple target: keep supply noise below +/-50 mV to avoid ADC accuracy degradation.
MCLR reset circuit: route the MCLR pin to a 10 kohm pull-up to Vdd with a 100 nF to 1 uF capacitor to ground; do not leave MCLR floating. Failing to reset properly is a common source of 'stuck-in-bootloader' symptoms when ICSP is connected. Also, configure the configuration fuses (CONFIG1L through CONFIG5L) correctly for the chosen oscillator source; the nanoWatt low-power timer1 oscillator requires separate fuse bits. According to the Microchip datasheet, missing the configuration bits set leads to unpredictable startup behavior.
QFN thermal management: the 44-QFN (8x8 mm) package has an exposed thermal pad on its underside that MUST be soldered to a PCB copper pour to achieve the datasheet's rated electrical performance. Recommended PCB footprint: continuous 50x50 mm copper area on the top layer under the QFN, with thermal vias (12-16 vias of 0.3 mm drill on a 1.0 mm pitch) connecting to an inner ground plane. Estimated theta_JA reduction: from ~35 C/W (no thermal pad) to ~18 C/W (full thermal pad soldered), allowing continuous 40 MHz operation at 5V without derating.
ECAN bus layout: when using the on-chip ECAN controller, keep the CANH/CANL traces between the PIC18F4680T-I/ML and the MCP2561/MCP2551 transceiver short and impedance-matched (characteristic impedance near 120 ohm). Place the 120 ohm termination resistor at the cable end, not at the MCU side. Per the Microchip ECAN application note family, ground-plane splits under the ECAN traces should be avoided to prevent radiated emissions, and the ECAN clock output (CANTX) should be routed away from sensitive analog input traces to prevent coupling.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant per Microchip product page. The PIC18F4680T-I/ML (industrial grade 'I') is not AEC-Q100 qualified; the E-grade variant (PIC18F4680T-E/ML) supports the extended automotive temperature range but is still not AEC-Q100 qualified - verify with automotive project teams if AEC-Q100 is required.
