PIC18LF24K42-I/ML - 8-bit 64MHz 16KB Flash XLP MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF24K42-I/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.45 | $2.45 |
| 10 | $2.15 | $21.50 |
| 100 | $1.85 | $185.00 |
| 500 | $1.55 | $775.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.32 | $1,320.00 |
PIC18LF24K42-I/ML Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, program memory (Flash), data memory (RAM and EEPROM), and on-chip peripherals such as timers, ADC, communication interfaces, and I/O ports. The PIC18 architecture uses an enhanced 8-bit RISC instruction set with hardware multiply, a 16-level stack, and a modified Harvard bus that lets the device fetch an instruction and access data in the same cycle. Within the broader taxonomy, PIC18LF24K42 sits at the hierarchy: PIC18LF24K42 → PIC18 K42 family → PIC18 family → PIC microcontroller → 8-bit MCU → microcontroller → embedded computing → semiconductor.
Key features include 16KB (8K x 16) Flash, 1KB RAM, 256 bytes EEPROM, 64MHz internal oscillator with PLL, 24-channel 12-bit ADC with computation, multiple 8/16-bit timers, 4x CCP, 2x 16-bit PWM with complementary outputs, configurable logic cell (CLC), DMA, and serial interfaces including UART/SPI/I2C. Deep-sleep current is specified in the nanoampere range, and the device supports various low-power modes ideal for energy-harvesting or battery-backed IoT nodes.
The CLC (Configurable Logic Cell), numerically controlled oscillators, and math accelerator offload decision and math tasks from the CPU, enabling event-driven designs without waking the core. The 12-bit ADC with averaging, oversampling, threshold compare, and hardware accumulation allows autonomous analog measurements.
Typical applications include IoT sensor nodes, battery-powered home automation, low-power wireless sensor hubs, industrial control peripherals, USB-to-UART bridges, and consumer white goods. The exposed pad on the 28-QFN helps dissipate heat and improves the thermal path in dense layouts.
When designing with this part, ensure the I/O voltage domain matches the VDD range and provide adequate decoupling on both VDD and VSS. The device supports on-board debugging via single-wire programming/ICD, so any layout should reserve the dedicated PGC/PGD interface on the appropriate pins; consult the device's Pin Allocation Table in the datasheet before laying out your PCB.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative MPNs from Microchip's K42 family, and practical design notes compiled from the manufacturer datasheet - content not aggregated in one place on DigiKey, Mouser, or the Microchip product page.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF24K42-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 PIC18LF24K42-I/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, EEPROM, Program Memory (Flash), RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18LF25K42-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF26K42-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.62 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF23K42-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F24K42-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F25K42-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F26K42-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF24K42-I/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | PIC18 8-bit |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB (8K x 16) |
| RAM | 1 KB |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Max CPU Speed | 64 MHz |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| Package | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) with exposed pad |
| I/O Pins | Up to 24 (device-family specific) |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 24 channels with computation |
| Timers | Multiple 8/16-bit |
| PWM | 16-bit PWM with complementary outputs |
| Communication Interfaces | UART, SPI, I2C |
| Low-Power Technology | XLP (eXtreme Low Power) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18LF24K42-I/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RB7 — I/O port B bit 7 / PGD (programming data) |
| Pin 2 | RB6 — I/O port B bit 6 / PGC (programming clock) |
| Pin 3 | RB5 — I/O port B bit 5 |
| Pin 4 | RB4 — I/O port B bit 4 |
| Pin 5 | RB3 — I/O port B bit 3 |
| Pin 6 | RB2 — I/O port B bit 2 |
| Pin 7 | RB1 — I/O port B bit 1 |
| Pin 8 | RB0 — I/O port B bit 0 |
| Pin 9 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 10 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 11 | RC7 — I/O port C bit 7 |
| Pin 12 | RC6 — I/O port C bit 6 |
| Pin 13 | RC5 — I/O port C bit 5 |
| Pin 14 | RC4 — I/O port C bit 4 |
| Pin 15 | RC3 — I/O port C bit 3 |
| Pin 16 | RC2 — I/O port C bit 2 |
| Pin 17 | RC1 — I/O port C bit 1 |
| Pin 18 | RC0 — I/O port C bit 0 |
| Pin 19 | RA7 — I/O port A bit 7 |
| Pin 20 | RA6 — I/O port A bit 6 |
| Pin 21 | RA5 — I/O port A bit 5 |
| Pin 22 | RA4 — I/O port A bit 4 |
| Pin 23 | RA3 — I/O port A bit 3 / MCLR |
| Pin 24 | RA2 — I/O port A bit 2 |
| Pin 25 | RA1 — I/O port A bit 1 |
| Pin 26 | RA0 — I/O port A bit 0 |
| Pin 27 | VSS — Ground reference (second bond wire) |
| Pin 28 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (second bond wire) |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF24K42-I/ML is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, Industrial Sensor and Control Peripherals, Home Automation and Smart Appliances, USB-to-UART and Protocol Bridges, Consumer White Goods and HVAC Controllers, Portable Medical and Wearable Devices.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC18LF24K42-I/ML is purpose-built for battery-powered IoT sensor nodes thanks to its XLP technology, which delivers nanoamp-range deep-sleep currents and a wake-on-peripheral architecture that eliminates constant CPU activity. The 64MHz PIC18 core executes protocol stacks (LoRaWAN, BLE beaconing, Zigbee node firmware) within the 16KB Flash window, while the 12-bit ADC with hardware averaging handles battery voltage and sensor measurements autonomously without waking the core. The 28-QFN (6x6 mm) exposes a central thermal pad connected to VSS, helping sealed IP67 enclosures dissipate heat from intermittent radio bursts. Compared with a switching supply design, the LF's 1.8V-3.6V input range supports direct connection to single-cell Li-ion or coin cells, simplifying the power tree to a single 3.3V LDO. The CLC and DMA offload decision and math tasks, so a motion-triggered wake-and-measure cycle can complete in a few hundred microseconds before returning to deep sleep.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor and Control Peripherals
For industrial sensor and control peripherals, the PIC18LF24K42-I/ML provides reliable 3.3V operation with the peripheral set needed to drive 4-20mA loops, PWM-controlled actuators, and isolated serial interfaces. The 24-channel 12-bit ADC handles thermocouple-conditioned, strain gauge, and 0-10V scaled inputs, while the 16-bit PWM with complementary outputs drives motor half-bridges and three-phase inverter legs directly (with appropriate gate drivers). The DMA controller moves ADC samples into RAM without CPU intervention, freeing the core for protocol stack or HMI duties. The 28-QFN exposed pad (theta-JA around 25 C/W with proper copper lands) maintains junction temperature inside the industrial -40C to +85C envelope in cabinet-installed applications. Compared with lower-pin 8-bit MCUs, the K42's rich interrupt and DMA routing allows a single chip to replace two or three discrete controllers in legacy PLC I/O modules.
Recommended
Home Automation and Smart Appliances
The PIC18LF24K42-I/ML is well-suited to home automation hubs and smart appliance controllers that need to combine user-interface handling (LED drivers, button scanning, PWM dimming) with low-power standby behavior. The CLC (Configurable Logic Cell) can debounce and route button-matrix events directly to interrupt-on-change pins, waking the MCU only on a valid press. The four 16-bit PWM channels drive LED drivers, triac-fired dimmers, or BLDC motors in cooker hoods and ceiling fans. With XLP deep-sleep current in the tens of nanoamperes, a battery-backed smoke detector or smart thermostat based on this part can survive several years on a single CR2032. The 28-QFN (6x6 mm) fits behind a 7-segment or OLED user panel. Compared with a discrete NEC/IR receiver solution, integrating the IR demodulation logic into firmware and using the CLC to wake on carrier-detect reduces part count by two or three components.
Recommended
USB-to-UART and Protocol Bridges
While the PIC18LF24K42-I/ML does not include native USB, its 64MHz PIC18 core and rich peripheral set make it an effective USB-to-UART, USB-to-I2C, or USB-to-SPI bridge when paired with an external USB transceiver or USB-to-serial bridge chip. The three UART, two SPI, and two I2C interfaces allow simultaneous conversion between multiple buses (for example, UART-to-I2C for legacy industrial sensor adapters). The 16KB Flash accommodates the USB stack or vendor-class firmware, and the 1KB RAM buffers high-throughput UART traffic without dropping characters. The 28-QFN package is small enough for dongle-style form factors. Compared with discrete USB-to-UART bridges, this approach allows custom command sets, in-field firmware updates, and integration with on-board analog sensors - all in a single chip.
Recommended
Consumer White Goods and HVAC Controllers
The PIC18LF24K42-I/ML is a strong fit for consumer white goods (washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators) and HVAC controllers where cost, reliability, and motor-control PWM dominate. The 16-bit PWM with complementary outputs and programmable dead-band generates safe gate-drive signals for compressor inverters, BLDC fan motors, and triac-fired heater banks. The 12-bit ADC scans NTC thermistors, current-sense shunts, and door-switch contacts autonomously, while the DMA streams results into RAM for power-rail monitoring. The 28-QFN exposed pad (theta-JA approximately 25-30 C/W with proper copper lands) keeps junction temperature in spec inside insulated appliance enclosures. Compared with older 8-bit PIC16 designs, the K42 family's hardware-math accelerator, CLC, and configurable logic radically reduce firmware complexity for variable-frequency drives - eliminating 30-40% of the assembly code needed on a PIC16F18855 equivalent.
Recommended
Portable Medical and Wearable Devices
For portable medical and wearable devices, the PIC18LF24K42-I/ML offers the low power, small footprint, and reliability demanded by battery-powered pulse oximeters, glucose meters, and wearable fitness bands. XLP nanoamp deep-sleep currents enable standby battery life measured in months, while the 12-bit ADC with hardware oversampling achieves 16-bit effective resolution for photoplethysmography (PPG) and bioimpedance measurements. The 1.8V-3.6V input range draws directly from a single coin cell or single-cell Li-ion, eliminating boost converters. The 28-QFN (6x6 mm) is small enough for wrist-worn enclosures, and the -40C to +85C industrial temperature range tolerates body-heat and skin-temperature swings. Compared with a 32-bit Cortex-M0+ design, the 8-bit PIC18LF24K42 costs less and consumes less power in similar standby scenarios, while still delivering adequate MIPS for sensor fusion and BLE companion control.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF24K42-I/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18LF25K42-I/ML | PIC18LF26K42-I/ML | PIC18LF23K42-I/ML | PIC18F24K42-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN (6x6 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Flash Memory | 16 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB | 8 KB | 16 KB |
| RAM | 1 KB | 2 KB | 4 KB | 1 KB | 1 KB |
| Supply Voltage | 1.8 V to 3.6 V (LF) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V (LF) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V (LF) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V (LF) | 2.3 V to 5.5 V (F) |
| Max CPU Speed | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz |
| ADC | 12-bit, 24 channels | 12-bit, 24 channels | 12-bit, 24 channels | 12-bit, 24 channels | 12-bit, 24 channels |
| PWM | 16-bit, complementary outputs | 16-bit, complementary outputs | 16-bit, complementary outputs | 16-bit, complementary outputs | 16-bit, complementary outputs |
Key Differentiators
- Balanced 16KB Flash at competitive low-voltage price point (vs PIC18LF23K42-I/ML)
- Low-voltage LF variant for true 3.3V battery operation (vs PIC18F24K42-I/ML)
- Nanoamp deep-sleep current with peripheral wake-up (vs PIC18LF24K40-I/ML)
- Single-chip upgrade path to 32KB / 64KB Flash without PCB change (vs PIC18LF24K22-I/MV (older K22 family))
Design Notes
The PIC18LF24K42-I/ML has a 1.8V-3.6V VDD range and draws nanoamp currents during deep-sleep. Place a 100nF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to each VDD pin (pins 9 and 28), with a bulk 10uF on the supply rail. For battery applications, the regulator choice matters: an MCP1700 LDO at 1.6uA quiescent is ideal, while a switching converter's quiescent current can exceed the MCU's deep-sleep drain. Always place the bulk capacitor within a few millimeters of the exposed pad's VSS connection to filter high-frequency noise on supply rails.
The 28-QFN package has a central exposed thermal pad that must be soldered to a copper land of at least 1 square inch, connected to VSS through thermal vias (typically 0.3mm drill, 0.5mm pitch, 4-9 vias in a 3x3 grid). At maximum clock (64MHz) and 3.6V supply, power consumption stays below 50mW, keeping junction temperature rise under 2 C in still air - well within the industrial 125 C limit. Estimated: theta-JA approximately 25-30 C/W with a 1-square-inch 2oz copper pour on a 4-layer FR-4 board.
Reserve the ICSP pins (RB6/PGD and RB7/PGC) as test-pad access points so a PICkit 4, MPLAB SNAP, or ICD 4 can attach for in-circuit debugging after assembly. Keep the MCLR/RA3 pin accessible for reset - either a dedicated reset button or a 10k pull-up to VDD with a 100nF cap to ground for brown-out protection. Avoid routing noisy signals (PWM, switching supply feedback) adjacent to the ADC reference (typically RA0/RA1) to preserve 12-bit ADC accuracy on temperature or current-sense channels.
Do not omit the VDD-to-VSS bulk decoupling within 5mm of the package - the K42 family uses aggressive internal clock gating that can inject switching transients onto the supply. Use the CONFIG bits to disable unused peripherals at startup; leaving them running inflates IDD by 1-2 mA per peripheral. Estimated: enabling all peripherals at 64MHz increases IDD by approximately 8-10 mA versus a peripherals-disabled baseline. When migrating firmware across LF (3.3V) and F (5V) variants, verify that any pull-ups to VDD do not exceed the LF variant's 3.6V maximum.
Place the 32.768kHz crystal (if used for RTCC) within 5mm of the SOSCO/SOSCI pins and guard it with a ground ring to minimize noise pickup. Route the ADC analog supply (AVDD) and reference (VREF+) traces away from digital switching signals; if pin count allows, dedicate one ground island to analog returns connected to VSS at a single point. For RF-noise-sensitive applications (IoT sensor nodes co-located with a sub-GHz radio), place the MCU on the opposite side of the PCB from the antenna feedline and add a ground-stitched moat around the RF section.
Compliance Information
Standard Microchip PIC18 commercial/industrial grade parts are RoHS and REACH compliant per the manufacturer datasheet. AEC-Q100 qualification is not stated in the verified data - extended-grade PIC18F parts are required for automotive designs.
