PIC18F46J50T-I/PT - 48MHz USB 8-bit MCU 64KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F46J50T-I/PT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.12 | $7.12 |
| 10 | $6.45 | $64.50 |
| 100 | $5.71 | $571.00 |
| 500 | $5.05 | $2,525.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.42 | $4,420.00 |
PIC18F46J50T-I/PT Overview
A microcontroller is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, RAM, non-volatile program memory (Flash), peripherals (timers, ADC, communication interfaces, I/O), and in this case a USB transceiver - all on one die. The PIC18 family uses a RISC architecture with a 16-bit instruction word and 8-bit data path, classified within the broader 8-bit MCU taxonomy that bridges to 16-bit and 32-bit devices. The PIC18F46J50 specifically belongs to the XLP (eXtreme Low Power) subfamily, targeting battery-powered and USB-connected embedded applications.
Key features include nanoWatt XLP technology with a Deep Sleep mode drawing nanoamp-level current, peripheral pin select (PPS) for flexible signal routing, an integrated full-speed USB 2.0 SIE and transceiver, a 10-bit ADC with up to 13 channels, mTouch capacitive touch support via CTMU, and 36 digital I/O pins. The 48 MHz core provides 12 MIPS, and the 2.0V-3.3V supply range allows direct Li-ion/battery operation without a separate LDO.
The architecture combines a Harvard-style RISC pipeline with dedicated USB hardware that handles low-level protocol without CPU intervention. This frees the core for application code, simplifies USB enumeration, and reduces firmware complexity for HID, CDC, vendor-class, and bulk-transfer endpoints.
Typical applications include USB HID peripherals (keyboards, mice, custom input devices), USB-to-UART bridges, USB data loggers, industrial sensor interfaces, and battery-powered consumer electronics. The integrated USB transceiver eliminates the need for an external USB PHY and reduces both BOM cost and PCB footprint, while the XLP modes enable multi-year battery life in sleep-dominant designs.
When designing with this device, careful attention must be paid to the 3.3V supply rail: a low-noise LDO is required because the internal ADC references VDD. The USB D+/D- lines require 27 to 33 ohm series termination and the DP pull-up must be enabled in firmware for full-speed enumeration.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F46J50T-I/PT — 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 PIC18F46J50T-I/PT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Program Memory (Flash), Core Architecture, ADC.
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PIC18F46J50-I/PT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F44J50T-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F45J50T-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.69 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F46J13-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$4.38 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F46J50T-I/PT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC18 8-bit RISC |
| CPU Speed | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 64 KB (32K x 16) |
| RAM | 4 KB |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| I/O Pins | 36 |
| ADC | 10-bit, 13-channel |
| USB | Full-speed USB 2.0 integrated SIE + transceiver |
| Package | TQFP-44 (PT) 10x10 mm |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| MSL Level | 3 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) | Yes |
| nanoWatt XLP | Yes (Deep Sleep mode) |
PIC18F46J50T-I/PT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/AN0 — PORTA bit 0 / analog input 0 |
| Pin 2 | RA1/AN1 — PORTA bit 1 / analog input 1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2/AN2 — PORTA bit 2 / analog input 2 |
| Pin 4 | RA3/AN3 — PORTA bit 3 / analog input 3 |
| Pin 5 | RA4/AN4 — PORTA bit 4 / analog input 4 |
| Pin 6 | RA5/AN5 — PORTA bit 5 / analog input 5 |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | OSC1/CLKI/RA7 — Crystal input / external clock in / GPIO |
| Pin 9 | OSC2/CLKO/RA6 — Crystal output / clock out / GPIO |
| Pin 10 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 11 | RC0 — PORTC bit 0 |
| Pin 12 | RC1 — PORTC bit 1 |
| Pin 13 | RC2 — PORTC bit 2 |
| Pin 14 | VUSB — Internal 3.3V USB transceiver supply / external bypass |
| Pin 15 | RC4 — PORTC bit 4 |
| Pin 16 | RC5/D- — PORTC bit 5 / USB D- line |
| Pin 17 | RC6/D+ — PORTC bit 6 / USB D+ line |
| Pin 18 | RC7 — PORTC bit 7 |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply 2.0V-3.6V |
| Pin 21 | RB0/INTO — PORTB bit 0 / external interrupt 0 |
| Pin 22 | RB1/INT1 — PORTB bit 1 / external interrupt 1 |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — PORTB bit 2 |
| Pin 24 | RB3 — PORTB bit 3 |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — PORTB bit 4 |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — PORTB bit 5 |
| Pin 27 | RB6/PGC — PORTB bit 6 / ICSP clock |
| Pin 28 | RB7/PGD — PORTB bit 7 / ICSP data |
| Pin 29 | VDD — Positive supply 2.0V-3.6V |
| Pin 30 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 31 | RD0 — PORTD bit 0 |
| Pin 32 | RD1 — PORTD bit 1 |
| Pin 33 | RD2 — PORTD bit 2 |
| Pin 34 | RD3 — PORTD bit 3 |
| Pin 35 | RD4 — PORTD bit 4 |
| Pin 36 | RD5 — PORTD bit 5 |
| Pin 37 | RD6 — PORTD bit 6 |
| Pin 38 | RD7 — PORTD bit 7 |
| Pin 39 | RE0 — PORTE bit 0 |
| Pin 40 | RE1 — PORTE bit 1 |
| Pin 41 | RE2 — PORTE bit 2 |
| Pin 42 | VDD — Positive supply 2.0V-3.6V |
| Pin 43 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 44 | AVDD — Analog positive supply |
Typical Applications
PIC18F46J50T-I/PT is suitable for 6 applications: USB HID Peripherals (Keyboard/Mouse/Custom), USB-to-UART Serial Bridge, Battery-Powered Sensor Data Logger, Industrial Sensor / Process Interface with USB Diagnostics, Capacitive Touch User Interface with USB Output, USB Audio Class (Basic) Control Surfaces.
USB HID Peripherals (Keyboard/Mouse/Custom)
The PIC18F46J50T-I/PT's integrated full-speed USB 2.0 SIE and on-chip transceiver make it a near-ideal host for USB HID class devices such as keyboards, mice, custom input devices, and HID-based industrial controls. Its 48 MHz / 12 MIPS performance comfortably handles the HID report descriptors, idle/fill rate handling, and the user's main firmware loop concurrently. Because the J50 is USB-IF compliant Full-Speed (12 Mbps), no external pull-up resistor is required beyond the internal 1.5k ohm pull-up on D+, keeping external parts to the mandatory 27-33 ohm series termination. Pairing the device with a low-dropout regulator such as the MCP1700 ensures stable VUSB for enumeration.
Recommended
USB-to-UART Serial Bridge
As a CDC-class USB-to-UART bridge, the PIC18F46J50T-I/PT elegantly replaces legacy FTDI chips with a USB driver and a single 44-pin TQFP. The EUSART block (enhanced USART) supports standard baud rates up to 1 Mbps with hardware flow control, while the integrated USB SIE handles the CDC ACM class natively in firmware. This topology is widely used in industrial debug ports, modular sensor interfaces, and legacy-RS232 adapters. The 4 KB RAM supports a 64-byte CDC ring buffer plus application layer, and the 64 KB Flash holds the CDC stack, the INF descriptor, and the bridge firmware.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Sensor Data Logger
The PIC18F46J50T-I/PT is well-suited to multi-year battery data-logging designs through nanoWatt XLP technology. Deep Sleep current is in the nanoamp range, allowing the device to wake only when needed while periodically scanning its 10-bit 13-channel ADC and writing to the 4 KB data RAM, then transmitting results over USB when plugged in for readout. The 2.0V-3.6V supply aligns with a single Li-ion cell or two alkaline cells. A typical implementation pairs the MCU with an MCP9700 analog temperature sensor and stores timestamped logs before dequeuing them via the CDC endpoint when a host requests them.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor / Process Interface with USB Diagnostics
In industrial process interfaces, the PIC18F46J50T-I/PT hosts the analog front end via its 10-bit ADC and exposes diagnostics, calibration, and configuration to a host PC over USB CDC or vendor-class endpoints. The peripheral pin select (PPS) map allows the engineer to route UART, SPI, and CCP peripherals to most I/O pins, simplifying PCB layout in mixed-signal enclosures. The -40C to +85C industrial temperature range supports factory and outdoor cabinets. A common topology pairs the MCU with an MCP2515 CAN controller for bridging industrial protocols, or with a 4-20 mA loop driver such as the XTR105 for transducer signal chains.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch User Interface with USB Output
The PIC18F46J50T-I/PT integrates the CTMU (Charge Time Measurement Unit) for mTouch capacitive touch sensing on dedicated analog channels. Designers can implement touch buttons, sliders, and proximity sensors without external capacitive-sensing ICs, then transmit HID events over USB to a host. A 16-key capacitive keypad consumes only 2-3 mA active and 1 uA in Deep Sleep, fitting tightly into battery-powered remote designs. Pairing with the PICkit 3 in-circuit programmer/MPLAB Xpress evaluation board accelerates prototype-to-production.
Recommended
USB Audio Class (Basic) Control Surfaces
For USB-CDC based audio control surfaces and MIDI controllers, the PIC18F46J50T-I/PT delivers deterministic 1 ms polling on Full-Speed USB, accurately servicing audio knob and fader updates. The PIC18 8-bit core is more than capable of MIDI 1.0, Mackie Control, or HID-consumer transport to a DAW. With 36 I/O, you can build 8-32 channel control surfaces with rotary encoders routed via PPS to the CCP and EUSART blocks. A common reference design uses four MCP23S17 GPIO expanders to extend the I/O bank at low cost, with the MCU acting as master over SPI.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F46J50T-I/PT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F46J50-I/PT | PIC18F44J50T-I/PT | PIC18F45J50T-I/PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | TQFP-44 (PT) 10x10 mm | TQFP-44 (PT) 10x10 mm | TQFP-44 (PT) 10x10 mm | TQFP-44 (PT) 10x10 mm |
| Core | PIC18 8-bit RISC | PIC18 8-bit RISC | PIC18 8-bit RISC | PIC18 8-bit RISC |
| CPU Speed | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) |
| Flash | 64 KB | 64 KB | 16 KB (-75%) | 32 KB (-50%) |
| RAM | 4 KB | 4 KB | 4 KB | 4 KB |
| USB | Full-speed USB 2.0 integrated | Full-speed USB 2.0 integrated | Full-speed USB 2.0 integrated | Full-speed USB 2.0 integrated |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0V to 3.6V | 2.0V to 3.6V | 2.0V to 3.6V | 2.0V to 3.6V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C |
Key Differentiators
- Largest Flash tier in the same 44-pin TQFP footprint (vs PIC18F44J50T-I/PT)
- Integrated USB 2.0 Full-Speed transceiver eliminates external PHY (vs PIC18F4550-I/PT)
- nanoWatt XLP Deep Sleep current for ultra-low-power USB (vs PIC18F4550-I/PT)
Design Notes
Estimated: the PIC18F46J50T-I/PT integrates an internal 3.3V LDO that powers the USB transceiver from VUSB pin 14; place a 100 nF + 4.7 uF ceramic bypass on VUSB, plus a 1 uF bulk cap on VDD. The Deep Sleep current spec is in the nA range when SLEEP and IDLE modes are correctly configured; verify with the latest datasheet figure rather than relying on parametric memory.
Place 27 ohm (range 27-33 ohm) series termination resistors on the D+ and D- traces as close to the MCU pins as possible to meet USB Full-Speed signal-integrity requirements. Keep the D+/D- differential pair matched within 2 mm and avoid routing them near high-frequency signals or noisy power rails; the exposed pad (TQFP thermal pad) should be soldered to a small ground island for thermal relief even though the J50 does not formally require a thermal pad.
Do not assume the internal 48 MHz oscillator is accurate enough for USB Full-Speed on every unit - the SIE handles USB framing, but firmware must enable the USB clock source, set the PLL postscaler for 48 MHz, and configure the on-chip USB regulator before plugging into a host. Also, disable the analog function on AN0..AN5 if those pins are used as digital I/O to prevent unwanted current draw through the input buffer.
For CE/FCC compliance with USB peripherals, place a common-mode choke (or ferrite beads) on VBUS and ensure the shield of the USB connector is tied directly to chassis ground. Internal VUSB decoupling with at least 4.7 uF X5R ceramic plus 100 nF keeps conducted emissions low; for radiated noise, prefer a 4-layer PCB with continuous ground pour under the TQFP footprint.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; use PIC18 variants with -I vs -E suffixes carefully (commercial vs industrial temperature grades).