PIC18F46J53T-I/PT - 8-bit USB MCU 48MHz 64KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: PIC18F46J53T-I/PT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.32 | $4.32 |
| 10 | $3.89 | $38.90 |
| 100 | $3.46 | $346.00 |
| 500 | $3.1 | $1,550.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.78 | $2,780.00 |
PIC18F46J53T-I/PT Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a processor whose internal data path is 8 bits wide, executes one instruction per cycle at peak, and integrates CPU core, non-volatile program memory (FLASH/ROM), data RAM, peripherals, and I/O onto a single die. The PIC18 family sits at the upper performance tier of Microchip's 8-bit line, with RISC architecture, 16-bit opcodes, 8-bit data, hardware multiplier, and a vectored interrupt controller. It is used as the real-time control plane in cost-sensitive embedded products where the price/perf advantage of 8-bit silicon outweighs the need for 32-bit ARM-class performance. Unlike FPGA or CPLD devices, the program is stored in embedded FLASH and executed from internal RAM, enabling true single-chip system designs.
The 'J' suffix in PIC18F46J53 designates the low-power, high-performance variant using Microchip's nanoWatt XLP technology with on-chip 3.3 V regulation that allows 5 V-tolerant I/O while running the core at lower internal voltage. The '46' pin-count code targets the 44-pin TQFP part. The 'T' in the part number denotes tape-and-reel packaging, and the trailing '/PT' suffix indicates a 10x10 mm TQFP package on industrial operating range (-40C to +85C).
Typical applications for PIC18F46J53T-I/PT include USB peripherals such as HID-class devices, CDC serial bridges, low-cost card readers, and consumer electronic accessories; industrial control nodes running Modbus RTU over USB or RS-485; battery-powered sensor hubs that benefit from XLP deep-sleep current; and educational or hobby boards where the integrated USB and standardized pinout simplify prototyping. The 64 KB FLASH/4 KB RAM balance supports reasonable protocol stacks (USB CDC + command parser) while keeping unit cost low.
When designing with this device, pay close attention to the dual-rail requirement: the VUSB3V3 pin supplies the internal USB transceiver and must be driven from a 3.3 V regulator (the IC has no internal 3.3 V LDO for USB). Decouple VDDCORE with 10 uF + 0.1 uF and ensure the 48 MHz PLL is configured correctly via the CONFIG registers, otherwise USB timing fails. The Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode uses the same USB pins as the application, freeing PCB real estate.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18F46J53T-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 PIC18F46J53T-I/PT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, EEPROM, Timers, I/O Pins.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F46J53-I/PT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F47J53-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F46J50-I/PT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F4553T-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F46J53T-I/PT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC18 8-bit RISC |
| Series | PIC XLP 18J |
| CPU Speed | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) |
| Program Memory | 64 KB FLASH (32K x 16) |
| RAM | 4 KB |
| USB Interface | USB 2.0 Full-Speed Device/Host/OTG, on-chip transceiver |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VDDIO) | 4.2 V to 5.5 V (5V tolerant I/O) |
| I/O Pins | 36 |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 13 channels |
| Comparators | 2 |
| Timers (8/16-bit) | 2x 8-bit / 3x 16-bit |
| PWM Channels | 5 (ECCP + CCP) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Package | 44-pin TQFP (10x10 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18F46J53T-I/PT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/VPP/RE3 — Master Clear reset (active low) or ICSP programming voltage; also PORTE bit 3 |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0/C1IN+/CVREF+/CTMU/RP0 — PORTA bit 0; analog input 0; comparator 1 non-inverting input; CTMU channel; remappable I/O |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1/C2IN+/RP1 — PORTA bit 1; analog input 1; comparator 2 non-inverting input |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2/C2IN-/CVREF-/RP2 — PORTA bit 2; analog input 2; comparator 2 inverting input |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/C1IN-/RP3 — PORTA bit 3; analog input 3; comparator 1 inverting input |
| Pin 6 | VDD — Primary power supply input (2.0-3.6 V) |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | RA5/AN4/C1IN2-/SS1/RP4 — PORTA bit 5; analog input 4 |
| Pin 9 | RA6/AN5/C2IN2-/RP5 — PORTA bit 6; analog input 5 |
| Pin 10 | RA7/C1OUT/CCP5/RP6 — PORTA bit 7; comparator 1 output; CCP5 PWM |
| Pin 11 | VDDCORE/VCAP — Internal core regulator output (stabilize with 10 uF + 0.1 uF) |
| Pin 12 | RF7/C2OUT/RP23 — PORTF bit 7; comparator 2 output |
| Pin 13 | OSC1/CLKI/RA8 — Crystal oscillator input or external clock input |
| Pin 14 | OSC2/CLKO/RA9 — Crystal oscillator output or clock output |
| Pin 15 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 16 | RB0/AN8/CTMU/RP8 — PORTB bit 0; analog input 8; CTMU channel |
| Pin 17 | RB1/AN9/RP9 — PORTB bit 1; analog input 9 |
| Pin 18 | RB2/AN10/RP10 — PORTB bit 2; analog input 10 |
| Pin 19 | RB3/AN11/RP11 — PORTB bit 3; analog input 11 |
| Pin 20 | RB4/AN12/RP12 — PORTB bit 4; analog input 12 |
| Pin 21 | RB5/AN13/RP13 — PORTB bit 5; analog input 13 |
| Pin 22 | RB6/PGC/RP14 — PORTB bit 6; ICSP clock; interrupt-on-change |
| Pin 23 | RB7/PGD/RP15 — PORTB bit 7; ICSP data; interrupt-on-change |
| Pin 24 | RC0/RP16 — PORTC bit 0 |
| Pin 25 | RC1/RP17 — PORTC bit 1 |
| Pin 26 | RC2/RP18 — PORTC bit 2 |
| Pin 27 | RC3/RP19 — PORTC bit 3 |
| Pin 28 | RC4/RP20 — PORTC bit 4 |
| Pin 29 | RC5/RP21 — PORTC bit 5 |
| Pin 30 | RC6/RP22 — PORTC bit 6 |
| Pin 31 | RC7/RP23 — PORTC bit 7 |
| Pin 32 | VDDIO — I/O ring supply (4.2-5.5 V for 5V tolerant I/O) |
| Pin 33 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 34 | RD0/RP24 — PORTD bit 0 |
| Pin 35 | RD1/RP25 — PORTD bit 1 |
| Pin 36 | RD2/RP26 — PORTD bit 2 |
| Pin 37 | RD3/RP27 — PORTD bit 3 |
| Pin 38 | VUSB3V3 — USB transceiver 3.3 V supply (external reg required) |
| Pin 39 | VDD — Primary power supply input |
| Pin 40 | D-/RG2 — USB D-minus line; also PORTG bit 2 |
| Pin 41 | D+/RG3 — USB D-plus line; also PORTG bit 3 |
| Pin 42 | RE0/P1A/PWMRP0 — PORTE bit 0; PWM Enhanced Channel 1 output A |
| Pin 43 | RE1/P1B/PWMRP1 — PORTE bit 1; PWM Enhanced Channel 1 output B |
| Pin 44 | RE2/P1C/PWMRP2 — PORTE bit 2; PWM Enhanced Channel 1 output C |
Typical Applications
PIC18F46J53T-I/PT is suitable for 6 applications: USB HID / CDC Peripheral Devices, Industrial Sensor / Modbus Node, USB-Based Data Logger / Tethered Diagnostics, Battery-Powered Consumer Accessory, Educational / Hobby Development Boards, USB-Enabled Test & Measurement Probe.
USB HID / CDC Peripheral Devices
The PIC18F46J53T-I/PT is ideally suited for USB HID and CDC peripheral devices because its integrated full-speed USB 2.0 transceiver delivers 12 Mbps without external PHY, and the 64 KB FLASH plus 4 KB RAM is exactly sized for HID descriptors, report buffers, and CDC line-coding state machines. When the device enumerates, the firmware implements the standard HID or CDC class driver on the host side (Windows/macOS) and the application endpoint logic on the device side. The 12 MIPS at 48 MHz sustains 1-ms USB frame timing with margin for protocol handling. Designers should note that the VUSB3V3 pin must be fed from an external 3.3 V regulator - this part does not derive 3.3 V from VDD automatically, unlike newer PIC18F-K42 parts.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor / Modbus Node
The PIC18F46J53T-I/PT fits an industrial sensor or Modbus RTU node because its 12-bit ADC with 13 input channels and two comparators on a 44-pin TQFP deliver adequate analog capability in a compact footprint, while the integrated USB channels double as a service port for laptop diagnostics. The nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep mode allows unattended sensor hubs on battery or energy-harvesting power to wake on a comparator edge, retaining RAM and only refreshing when a meaningful threshold crosses. The 48 MHz core sustains a Modbus RTU master or slave plus an application loop without overdraw. Designers should plan a robust watchdog (WDT) reset flow and ESD protection on the RS-485 bus, since industrial environments demand IEC 61000-4-2 compliance.
Recommended
USB-Based Data Logger / Tethered Diagnostics
Engineers select the PIC18F46J53T-I/PT for USB-based data loggers and tethered diagnostic tools because the on-chip 12-bit ADC and 64 KB FLASH let the device sample and store process variables in its 4 KB RAM or write to an external EEPROM while presenting as a USB CDC device for live readout. The 48 MHz core performs decimation and filtering fast enough to log up to several kS/s without DMA; for higher rates, upgrade to PIC18F47J53. The TQFP-44 footprint exposes enough GPIO (36 I/O) to handle multiple sensor inputs, status LEDs, and a serial bootload button. Designers should use the Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode and the BOOT-block vector to enable field firmware updates without an external programmer.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Consumer Accessory
The PIC18F46J53T-I/PT serves battery-powered consumer accessories well by virtue of its nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep mode drawing nanoampere-level quiescent current, letting the device wake on USB attach, sensor event, or timer interrupt. The 64 KB FLASH/4 KB RAM envelope easily fits a vendor-class USB stack, BLE passthrough code, or a simple gesture-recognition state machine with 36 I/O left over for buttons, LEDs, and I2C sensors. Unlike 32-bit Cortex-M parts, the PIC18F46J53T-I/PT keeps the BOM under $3 for the MCU even at moderate volumes, which directly improves consumer gross margin. For accessory designs that demand 5 V I/O at the same time as low-power sleep, the 5 V-tolerant VDDIO range simplifies interfacing to legacy peripherals without level shifters.
Recommended
Educational / Hobby Development Boards
Educators and hobbyists gravitate to the PIC18F46J53T-I/PT because it ships in many low-cost development boards (e.g. PICDEM FS USB, Curiosity HPC board variants) and supports Microchip's free MPLAB X IDE plus the no-cost XC8 compiler for 8-bit parts. The integrated USB means students build real-world device-class firmware (HID mouse, CDC serial emulator, MIDI controller) without needing external USB components, and the 64 KB FLASH/4 KB RAM is large enough to teach protocols, interrupt design, and DMA. The 36 I/O pins expose a wide breadboard-friendly set of peripherals. For first-time learners, Microchip's PICkit 4 in-circuit debugger plus the Code Configurator (MCC) GUI shaves weeks off initial bring-up time.
Recommended
USB-Enabled Test & Measurement Probe
Test and measurement probe designs adopt the PIC18F46J53T-I/PT for its USB CDC plus 12-bit ADC and comparator pair, giving the firmware enough performance to acquire samples, perform basic filtering, and stream serialized results over USB at the 1 kHz to 10 kHz rates typical for low-bandwidth scopes or logic-style probes. The 44-pin TQFP (10x10) footprint exposes 36 I/O for analog and digital inputs, status LEDs, pushbuttons, and trigger I/O. Compared with discrete USB solutions, the integrated transceiver drops BOM cost and PCB area. Designers should add a calibration routine in the bootloader because the 12-bit ADC can be factory trimmed against an external precision reference at production time, ensuring that probe tolerance meets its 0.5% to 1% accuracy target.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18F46J53T-I/PT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F46J53-I/PT | PIC18F47J53-I/PT | PIC18F46J50-I/PT | PIC18F4553T-I/PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | TQFP-44 (PT) 10x10 mm | TQFP-44 (PT) - same | TQFP-44 (PT) - same | TQFP-44 (PT) - same | TQFP-44 (PT) - same |
| FLASH | 64 KB | 64 KB | 128 KB | 64 KB | 32 KB |
| RAM | 4 KB | 4 KB | 4 KB | 4 KB | 2 KB |
| Max CPU Speed | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz |
| USB 2.0 On-Chip | Yes (FS Device/Host/OTG) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| nanoWatt XLP | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (legacy) | No (legacy) |
| ADC | 12-bit, 13 ch | 12-bit, 13 ch | 12-bit, 13 ch | 10-bit, 13 ch | 12-bit, 13 ch |
| I/O Pins | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 34 |
| Approx 1000-pc price (USD) | $2.78 | $2.78 (same die, tray) | $3.20 | $2.50 (older, lower stock) | $2.10 |
Key Differentiators
- Only TQFP-44 part in PIC18F46J5x family with same FLASH/RAM but reel-ready tape (vs PIC18F46J53-I/PT)
- Doubles the FLASH to 128 KB in same TQFP-44 footprint (vs PIC18F47J53-I/PT)
- Adds nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep current reduction (vs PIC18F46J50-I/PT)
- Modern XLP peripherals and larger RAM than the F4553 family (vs PIC18F4553T-I/PT)
Design Notes
The PIC18F46J53T-I/PT has a dual-rail architecture. Core logic is powered through an internal regulator from VDD (2.0-3.6 V) and requires a 10 uF + 0.1 uF decoupling pair on VDDCORE/VCAP (pin 11) for stability. The USB transceiver (pin 38, VUSB3V3) needs a clean external 3.3 V supply - typically an onboard LDO fed from VBUS or VDD - because the part does NOT regulate 3.3 V from VDD automatically. Tie D+/D- (pins 41/40) to VUSB3V3 via 15 kOhm pull-downs in device mode per USB spec. VDDIO (pin 32) can be left tied to VDD or pulled to 5 V for 5 V tolerant I/O operation.
Estimated: at full 48 MHz operation with all peripherals active, the MCU core typically draws 15-25 mA, dissipating roughly 50-90 mW at 3.3 V. The 44-pin TQFP (PT) has a theta_JA in the 50-60 C/W range for a standard JEDEC EIA/JESD51 4-layer test board, allowing operation up to 85 C ambient without active cooling. For high-temperature (95 C+) designs, derate the clock to 40 MHz or improve PCB copper area under the exposed thermal-pad-adjacent ground plane. Always bias VDD between 2.85 V and 3.6 V at elevated temperatures to keep internal MOSFET headroom robust.
Place 0.1 uF decoupling capacitors within 50 mil (1.3 mm) of every VDD pin and 100 mil of VDDCORE/VCAP. Keep the 12 MHz or 48 MHz external crystal traces as short as possible with symmetric trace length between OSC1/OSC2 and the crystal; route them between a continuous ground pour on the layer below. For USB D+/D- traces (pins 40 and 41), maintain 90 ohm differential impedance with no splits on the reference plane, no vias in the pair, and a common-mode choke near the connector - this preserves USB 2.0 FS signal integrity per USB IF compliance guidelines.
Do not omit the VCAP capacitor on pin 11 - the internal regulator requires at least 10 uF ESR-stable output capacitance, otherwise the core logic brown-outs at heavy CPU load. Do not assume VUSB3V3 derives from VDD; it must be explicitly supplied. Failing to unlock the PPS (Peripheral Pin Select) registers before reassigning I/O functions on RPx pins causes UART/SPI/PWM to be silently unassigned. Always program CONFIG3L with the appropriate oscillator mode (HS, EC, INTOSC with PLL), or the part will not boot from the intended clock source.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant Pb-free TQFP-44 package per Microchip/ DigiKey listing. The industrial-grade operating range (-40C to +85C) per I suffix means it is not automotive AEC-Q100 qualified; choose PIC18F46J53T-E/PT for extended temperature or specific automotive part numbers for that grade. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the verified web data.