PIC18LF24K42-I/SS - 8-bit MCU, 16KB Flash, XLP, 28-SSOP
MPN: PIC18LF24K42-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.85 | $2.85 |
| 10 | $2.57 | $25.70 |
| 100 | $2.28 | $228.00 |
| 500 | $2.04 | $1,020.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.81 | $1,810.00 |
PIC18LF24K42-I/SS Overview
An 8-bit PIC microcontroller is a Harvard-architecture CMOS device using a 16-bit instruction word with an 8-bit data path. The PIC18 family is Microchip's high-performance tier, adding linear addressing, C-friendly instruction set extensions, hardware multiply, vectored interrupts, DMA, and Direct Memory Access (DMA) between peripherals and RAM - all while preserving the classic PIC ease-of-use ecosystem of MPLAB X, XC8, and a huge library of application notes.
Key features of the PIC18LF24K42-I/SS include eXtreme Low Power (XLP) technology with nanoWatt XLP sleep currents below 50 nA typical, zero-crossing detection, a windowed watchdog timer (WWDT), configurable logic cell (CLC), and on-chip capacitive touch (CVD) hardware. Peripherals also include two I2C, two SPI, one UART with LIN, and a 12-bit differential ADC supporting up to 35 channels.
Typical applications include low-power IoT sensor nodes, battery-powered remote controls, industrial sensor signal conditioning, capacitive touch user interfaces, and automotive body controllers (where the AEC-Q100 Q-grade part is preferred). The device is supported by MPLAB X IDE, MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC), XC8 compiler, and PICkit.
Design with the PIC18LF24K42-I/SS by enabling the brown-out reset, placing a 1 uF decoupling capacitor on every VDD pin, and following Microchip AN1078 SSOP-28 land-pattern guidelines. For sleep-dominated duty cycles the LF core reduces quiescent current by an order of magnitude versus the F variant at the same 3.3 V rail.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF24K42-I/SS — 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/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, DAC, Package, Program Memory (Flash), Communication.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F24K42-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.53 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF24K40-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.27 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F24K40-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF26K42-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$2.02 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF24K42-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC18 8-bit RISC |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB (8K x 16 words) |
| Data SRAM | 1 KB |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 64 MHz |
| Operating Voltage Range | 1.8 V to 3.6 V (LF core) |
| I/O Pins | 25 |
| ADC | 12-bit ADC2 with Computation, up to 35 channels |
| DAC | 5-bit DAC + 8-bit reference |
| Comparators | 2 |
| PWM Channels | Multiple (CCP, PWM, CWG) |
| Communication | 2x I2C, 2x SPI, 1x UART (LIN) |
| Package | 28-SSOP (0.209", 5.30 mm width) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 1 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18LF24K42-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2 — Port A bit 2 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 2 | RA3 — Port A bit 3 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 3 | RA4 — Port A bit 4 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 4 | RA5 — Port A bit 5 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 5 | RA6 — Port A bit 6 (digital I/O, analog input, oscillator) |
| Pin 6 | RA7 — Port A bit 7 (digital I/O, analog input, oscillator) |
| Pin 7 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | RA1/AN17 — Port A bit 1 / analog input 17 |
| Pin 9 | RA0/AN0 — Port A bit 0 / analog input 0 |
| Pin 10 | RA5 — Port A bit 5 (alternate) |
| Pin 11 | RC0 — Port C bit 0 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 12 | RC1 — Port C bit 1 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 13 | RC2 — Port C bit 2 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 14 | RC3 — Port C bit 3 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 15 | RC4 — Port C bit 4 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 16 | RC5 — Port C bit 5 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 17 | RC6 — Port C bit 6 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 18 | RC7 — Port C bit 7 (digital I/O) |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 21 | RB0 — Port B bit 0 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — Port B bit 1 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — Port B bit 2 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 24 | RB3 — Port B bit 3 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — Port B bit 4 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — Port B bit 5 (digital I/O, analog input) |
| Pin 27 | RB6 — Port B bit 6 (digital I/O, analog input, ICSPCLK) |
| Pin 28 | RB7 — Port B bit 7 (digital I/O, analog input, ICSPDAT) |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF24K42-I/SS is suitable for 6 applications: Low-Power IoT Sensor Node, Capacitive Touch User Interface, Industrial Sensor Signal Conditioning, Battery-Powered Remote Control, LED Lighting Control and Driver, Automotive Body Controller (AEC-Q100).
Low-Power IoT Sensor Node
The PIC18LF24K42-I/SS is ideal for battery-powered IoT sensor nodes thanks to its XLP nanoWatt technology, with sleep currents below 50 nA typical and a 1.8 V minimum supply that extends operating life on a single coin cell. The 12-bit ADC2 with Computation runs autonomously via DMA, sampling temperature, humidity, or light sensors without waking the CPU core. The two I2C and two SPI peripherals support multiple digital sensors simultaneously, and the 1 KB SRAM accommodates modest BLE/sensor-stack buffers. Compared to discrete analog front ends, integrating the ADC and DMA on-chip reduces BOM cost and PCB area in 28-SSOP form factor.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch User Interface
The PIC18LF24K42-I/SS integrates the mTouch CVD (Capacitive Voltage Divider) peripheral that supports up to 28 touch channels without external components, making it ideal for touch keypads, sliders, and proximity sensors on home appliances, consumer electronics, and industrial HMIs. The 12-bit ADC2 provides high SNR touch measurement, while the CLC (Configurable Logic Cell) can debounce and wake-on-touch events without CPU overhead. The 64 MHz core runs the touch scanning firmware at high refresh rates, and XLP sleep currents below 50 nA keep standby power minimal when no touches are detected - critical for battery-powered remote controls.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Signal Conditioning
The PIC18LF24K42-I/SS brings 12-bit ADC2 with Computation, two op-amp-style comparators, a 5-bit DAC, and an 8-bit voltage reference into a single 28-SSOP chip for industrial 4-20 mA loop-powered transmitters, RTD/thermocouple conditioning, and process-control front ends. The ADC computation engine performs averaging, oversampling, and digital filtering in hardware, freeing the CPU for communication via UART/Modbus or LIN. The CWG (Complementary Waveform Generator) can drive synchronous-rectification FET bridges in isolated DC-DC converters. AEC-Q100 Q-grade parts are preferred for true automotive deployments, but the industrial -40 C to +85 C range suits most factory-floor applications.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Remote Control
The PIC18LF24K42-I/SS powers ultra-compact remote controls for TVs, set-top boxes, smart lighting, and motorized blinds, where the LF core's 1.8 V-3.6 V supply runs directly from a single CR2032 coin cell or 2x AAA batteries. The PWM/CWG peripherals drive IR LEDs at precise carrier frequencies, while the 12-bit ADC reads battery voltage for low-battery warnings. XLP sleep currents below 50 nA extend shelf life to multi-year levels when the user is not pressing buttons. The 28-SSOP package is small enough for sub-30 mm x 50 mm remote PCBs, and the 16 KB Flash holds all IR protocol stacks plus custom button mappings.
Recommended
LED Lighting Control and Driver
The PIC18LF24K42-I/SS integrates multiple PWM outputs, the CWG for complementary FET timing, and the 12-bit ADC for current sensing - a complete digital front end for constant-current LED drivers in architectural, automotive interior, and horticultural lighting. The LF core's 1.8 V operation allows direct drive from single-cell Li-ion packs, and the 8-bit reference and comparators enable hysteretic current-mode control without external components. The 1 KB SRAM handles DMX-512, DALI, or 0-10 V protocol stacks, while DMA offloads color-mixing computations. Compared to discrete analog drivers, this integrated approach reduces BOM count by 30-40 percent.
Recommended
Automotive Body Controller (AEC-Q100)
The AEC-Q100-qualified PIC18LF24K42-I/SS is used in automotive body electronics such as seat controllers, mirror adjusters, window lift modules, and HVAC blend-door actuators where LIN bus communication and PWM motor control are needed. The 64 MHz core runs LIN 2.x stacks with cycle-budget to spare, while the CWG drives H-bridge FET timing with hardware dead-band generation. The LF core's 1.8 V-3.6 V range accommodates start-stop and load-dump conditions (when paired with external TVS protection), and the -40 C to +125 C Q-grade temperature range covers under-hood deployments per Microchip datasheet DS40001906B errata document DS80000796.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF24K42-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F24K42-I/SS | PIC18LF24K40-I/SS | PIC18F24K40-I/SS | PIC18LF26K42-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SSOP | 28-SSOP (same) | 28-SSOP (same) | 28-SSOP (same) | 28-SSOP (same) |
| Core | PIC18 LF (1.8 V-3.6 V) | PIC18 F (2.3 V-5.5 V) | PIC18 LF (1.8 V-3.6 V) | PIC18 F (2.3 V-5.5 V) | PIC18 LF (1.8 V-3.6 V) |
| Flash Memory | 16 KB | 16 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 1 KB | 1 KB | 512 B | 512 B | 4 KB |
| EEPROM | 256 B | 256 B | None | None | 1 KB |
| Max Frequency | 64 MHz (16 MIPS) | 64 MHz (16 MIPS) | 64 MHz (16 MIPS) | 64 MHz (16 MIPS) | 64 MHz (16 MIPS) |
| ADC | 12-bit ADC2 with Computation | 12-bit ADC2 with Computation | 12-bit ADC | 12-bit ADC | 12-bit ADC2 with Computation |
| DMA/CWG/CLC | Yes (K42 features) | Yes | No (K40) | No (K40) | Yes |
Key Differentiators
- XLP nanoWatt technology with sub-50 nA sleep current (vs PIC18LF24K40-I/SS)
- 12-bit ADC2 with Computation and DMA (vs PIC18F24K40-I/SS)
- Lower minimum supply voltage for battery applications (vs PIC18F24K42-I/SS)
- Vectored interrupts and 16-level hardware stack (vs PIC18LF24K22-I/SO)
Design Notes
Decouple every VDD pin (there are two on the 28-SSOP) with a 100 nF ceramic capacitor placed within 3 mm of each pin. Add a bulk 1 uF to 10 uF tantalum or ceramic capacitor on the 3.3 V rail. The LF core's 1.8 V minimum requires careful inrush current limiting during cold-start from a battery - soft-start the supply with an RC ramp to avoid VDD droop below BOR threshold. For sleep-dominated duty cycles, disable unused peripherals via PMD registers to achieve XLP sleep currents below 50 nA typical per Microchip datasheet DS40001906B.
Follow the Microchip AN1078 SSOP-28 land-pattern recommendation: 0.020" (0.5 mm) lead pitch, 0.010" x 0.015" (0.25 mm x 0.38 mm) pad size, and a thermal pad is NOT required for SSOP but ensure exposed copper pour on inner layers for heat spreading. Keep analog traces (ADC, comparator) routed away from digital switching lines (PWM, SPI clock) to minimize crosstalk. Place the ICSP programming footprint accessible for PICkit in-circuit debugging without removing components - reference AN1003 for ICSP layout.
Do not enable the LF core above 3.6 V or it will suffer permanent damage. When migrating PIC18F24K42 firmware to PIC18LF24K42, verify all FVCO/PLL configurations stay within LF voltage ranges. Do not omit the MCLR pull-up resistor (typically 10 kohm) - the device will not start reliably without it. The ADC2 computation feature requires the FVR (Fixed Voltage Reference) module to be stable; allow 1 ms settling time after enabling FVR before taking ADC samples. For capacitive touch applications, follow TB3067 guidelines to avoid false touches from humidity drift.
The 64 MHz core generates harmonics up to 500 MHz that can couple onto nearby analog traces. Use a four-layer PCB with a solid ground layer under the IC and stitch the periphery with 1 mm vias spaced 5 mm apart. The 12-bit ADC2 achieves ENOB of 11 bits typical at 200 ksps - at higher sample rates, use oversampling and averaging via the ADC2 computation engine to recover effective resolution. Keep the analog reference (VDDA) clean; tie it to a ferrite-filtered 3.3 V rail if switching regulators are nearby.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page. AEC-Q100 grade available separately as PIC18LF24K42-E/SS (extended temperature) and Q-grade variants. Industrial temperature range -40 C to +85 C is standard; -40 C to +125 C automotive grade requires Q-suffix part number.
