PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO - 8-bit USB MCU, 16KB Flash, 28-SOIC | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.5 | $4.50 |
| 10 | $4.1 | $41.00 |
| 100 | $3.7 | $370.00 |
| 500 | $3.3 | $1,650.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.95 | $2,950.00 |
PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO Overview
An 8-bit PIC microcontroller is a single-chip computer built on a Harvard-architecture RISC core optimised for deterministic I/O, low power, and ease of programming through the PIC instruction set. Within the broader taxonomy, the PIC18 LF series sits under microcontrollers -> 8-bit MCUs -> PIC microcontrollers -> semiconductor ICs. These devices integrate CPU, non-volatile Flash, SRAM, EEPROM, and rich peripherals (ADC, PWM, USB, UART, I2C, SPI) into one package, replacing many discrete logic and analog functions.
Key features of the PIC18LF24K50 include: a built-in USB 2.0 full-speed transceiver with on-chip pull-up/pull-down resistors and internal 3.3 V regulator; 16 KB self-programmable Flash, 2 KB SRAM, and 256 bytes EEPROM; 25 I/O pins with individual weak pull-up and interrupt-on-change; a 10-bit ADC with up to 14 channels; two analog comparators; an Enhanced USART, MSSP (SPI/I2C), and two CCP/ECCP modules; nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep currents down to a few nanoamps; and a 48 MHz internal RC oscillator with PLL for 12 MIPS instruction throughput.
Architecturally, the PIC18 K50 uses a 16-bit instruction word with 8-bit data path, a hardware multiply, and a flexible 31-level stack, giving it significantly higher code density than the baseline PIC16 family. The integrated USB SIE handles packet framing, CRC, and endpoint buffering in hardware, leaving the CPU free for application code. The internal 48 MHz oscillator with 4x PLL eliminates external clock components in many USB designs.
Typical applications include USB HID peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and game controllers; USB-to-UART bridges and CDC virtual COM ports; low-cost data loggers; sensor interface boards with USB diagnostic port; and educational/development boards where Flash self-programmability enables bootloader-based firmware updates.
When designing with the LF variant, ensure VDD stays within 1.8 V to 3.6 V - the non-LF PIC18F24K50 supports 1.8 V to 5.5 V. The USB VBUS pin can power the device in bus-powered designs, but for self-powered boards add 100 nF + 4.7 uF bulk capacitance close to the VDD pins. Place the 28-SOIC exposed pad (if used) on a thermal pour tied to GND.
This page synthesises distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical USB design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO — 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 PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Timers, Operating Temperature, Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18LF24K50-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F24K50-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF24K50-I/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.34 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF24K42-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.96 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF24K40-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$0.99 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Family | PIC18F/LF K50 (PIC18 "K50" sub-family) |
| Core | PIC18 8-bit RISC, 16-bit instruction word |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB (8K x 16 words) |
| Data SRAM | 2 KB |
| EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V (LF variant) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial, "I") |
| USB | USB 2.0 Full-Speed Device/Host/OTG, internal transceiver |
| I/O Pins | 25 |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 14 channels |
| Comparators | 2 analog comparators |
| Timers | 4 (Timer0/1/2/3) |
| Capture/Compare/PWM | 2 CCP + 1 ECCP |
| Communication | Enhanced USART, MSSP (SPI/I2C), USB |
| Package | 28-pin SOIC wide-body, tape and reel (SO) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| MSL Level | 1 |
PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0 — Analog/Digital I/O; AN0; ULPWU |
| Pin 2 | RA1 — Analog/Digital I/O; AN1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2 — Analog/Digital I/O; AN2 |
| Pin 4 | RA3 — Analog/Digital I/O; AN3; VREF+ |
| Pin 5 | RA4 — Analog/Digital I/O; AN4; T0CKI |
| Pin 6 | RA5 — Analog/Digital I/O; AN5; HLVDIN |
| Pin 7 | RA6 — Digital I/O; OSC2 |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 9 | RA7 — Digital I/O; OSC1 |
| Pin 10 | VDD — Positive supply (1.8-3.6 V) |
| Pin 11 | RB0 — Digital I/O; INT0; AN12 |
| Pin 12 | RB1 — Digital I/O; INT1; AN10 |
| Pin 13 | RB2 — Digital I/O; INT2; AN8 |
| Pin 14 | RB3 — Digital I/O; INT3; AN9; CCP2 |
| Pin 15 | RB4 — Digital I/O; IOC; AN11 |
| Pin 16 | RB5 — Digital I/O; IOC; AN13 |
| Pin 17 | RB6 — Digital I/O; IOC; PGC (ICSP clock) |
| Pin 18 | RB7 — Digital I/O; IOC; PGD (ICSP data) |
| Pin 19 | VUSB — Internal 3.3 V USB regulator output |
| Pin 20 | RC0 — Digital I/O; SOSCO |
| Pin 21 | RC1 — Digital I/O; SOSCI |
| Pin 22 | RC2 — Digital I/O; CCP1 |
| Pin 23 | RC3 — Digital I/O; SCL; SCK |
| Pin 24 | RC4 — Digital I/O; SDA; SDI |
| Pin 25 | RC5 — Digital I/O; SDO |
| Pin 26 | RC6 — Digital I/O; TX; CK |
| Pin 27 | RC7 — Digital I/O; RX; DT |
| Pin 28 | D+ — USB D+ data line (internal transceiver) |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO is suitable for 6 applications: USB HID Peripheral (Keyboard/Mouse/Game Controller), USB-to-UART Bridge / CDC Virtual COM Port, Low-Cost Data Logger with USB Diagnostic Port, Educational Microcontroller Teaching Board, USB Foot Switch / Industrial Pendant Controller, Battery-Powered Sensor Tag with USB Recharge Port.
USB HID Peripheral (Keyboard/Mouse/Game Controller)
The PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO is purpose-built for USB Human Interface Device peripherals. The integrated USB 2.0 full-speed transceiver with on-chip pull-up/pull-down resistors and internal 3.3 V regulator eliminates all external USB PHY components, shrinking the BOM to just the MCU plus a USB connector. The 16 KB Flash comfortably fits HID report descriptors and a state-machine HID stack, while the 48 MHz CPU (12 MIPS) handles USB polling with substantial headroom. For a 104-key keyboard scanning 20x8 matrix the ADC, comparators, and CCP modules can debounce switches while MSSP drives an optional LED SPI chain. Companion parts include 24LC02 EEPROM for user-config storage and a TPS2051B USB power switch.
Recommended
USB-to-UART Bridge / CDC Virtual COM Port
The PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO is widely used to build a CDC class device that exposes a virtual COM port over USB to a host running Windows, macOS, or Linux. Microchip provides free USB CDC stack source code that fits well under the 16 KB Flash limit, leaving headroom for application commands. The Enhanced USART then bridges the USB serial stream to a TTL-level UART for the embedded system under test. At 1.8-3.6 V operation the part can sit on the 3.3 V rail of the target board, while bus-powered designs can run the MCU from VBUS via the internal regulator. Pair with MCP2221A alternative parts or use as a low-cost development aid.
Recommended
Low-Cost Data Logger with USB Diagnostic Port
Industrial data loggers use the PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO for sensor acquisition and on-demand USB diagnostics. The 14-channel 10-bit ADC digitises analog sensor inputs, the MSSP drives SPI/I2C digital sensors, the ECCP module generates timing signals for power control, and the 2 KB SRAM buffers up to 1000 10-bit samples between Flash writes. When the engineer plugs the device into a USB host, the integrated transceiver enumerates as a vendor-specific device or MSD and dumps the Flash log files at 12 Mbps full-speed. nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep (sub-microamp) lets the logger run for years on a single CR2032. Add an external 25LC1024 SPI Flash for log storage expansion.
Recommended
Educational Microcontroller Teaching Board
Universities and self-learners favour the PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO for embedded courses because the 28-SOIC wide-body is SOIC-hand-solderable, the internal 48 MHz oscillator eliminates external crystals, and the integrated USB means students can program and debug without any extra hardware beyond a USB cable and Microchip's free MPLAB X IDE. The PIC18 instruction set is widely taught, the C18/MCC toolchain is free, and the nanoWatt XLP features demonstrate modern low-power design. Schools often build a custom carrier PCB exposing all 25 I/O pins, USB, and ICSP pads. The same silicon supports both assembly teaching and advanced C firmware projects at the same BOM cost.
Recommended
USB Foot Switch / Industrial Pendant Controller
Foot switches used in medical imaging, CNC machines, and stage lighting often use the PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO to convert a sealed mechanical pedal into a USB HID input that any PC software can detect without driver installation. The MCU reads the pedal switch and a few configuration buttons, debounces via hardware timers, and reports HID Usage Page (DescriptSwitch) events over USB full-speed. The integrated 3.3 V regulator lets the entire design run from VBUS at 5 V, with the LF MCU operating comfortably from the regulated 3.3 V rail. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C) suits shop-floor environments.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Sensor Tag with USB Recharge Port
Portable sensor tags use the PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO for periodic sensing and USB-charged data offload. The nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep mode drops quiescent current to nanoamp levels, enabling multi-year coin-cell operation; the MCU wakes on timer interrupt, samples one or more ADC channels, averages, and returns to sleep. When the user plugs into USB, the integrated transceiver enumerates as a CDC or vendor device and streams the buffered data. The LF 1.8-3.6 V range matches Li-coin and NiMH chemistries directly without level shifters, and the 2 KB SRAM buffers ~1000 readings between USB sessions.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18LF24K50-I/SO | PIC18F24K50-I/SO | PIC18LF24K50-I/SP | PIC18LF24K42-I/SO | PIC18LF24K40-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SOIC (wide) | 28-SOIC (wide) - same | 28-SOIC (wide) - same | 28-SOIC (wide) - same | 28-SOIC (wide) - same | 28-SOIC (wide) - same |
| Flash | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB |
| SRAM | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB | 2 KB |
| CPU Frequency | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS |
| VDD Range | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| USB Transceiver | Yes (internal, USB 2.0 FS) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB FS) | No (USB absent on K40) |
| I/O Pins | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Temperature Range | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest-cost integrated USB 2.0 full-speed 8-bit MCU in production (vs Microchip PIC18F4550-I/P)
- Higher MIPS/mm2 efficiency than PIC18F base series (vs Microchip PIC18F2550-I/SP)
- Wide 28-SOIC drop-in upgrade path to K42 generation (vs Microchip PIC18F24K40-I/SO)
Design Notes
Place a 100 nF X7R ceramic decoupling capacitor within 3 mm of each VDD pin, plus a 4.7 uF X5R bulk capacitor at the device supply entry. For bus-powered USB designs, the internal 3.3 V VUSB regulator requires an external 4.7 uF capacitor on the VUSB pin and an external RCR network on VBUS for the USB impedance signalling. For battery applications, verify that the LF variant's 1.8 V minimum is above the battery cut-off for your chemistry - NiMH below 1 V per cell may brown-out the MCU.
Route the USB D+ and D+ traces as a 90 ohm differential pair from pins 25-26 to the USB connector, with matching length and constant spacing. Keep total pair length under 50 mm to meet USB full-speed signal-integrity masks. Place the ESD protection diode (e.g., USBLC6-2SC6) within 5 mm of the connector, with its ground via stitch directly to the ground plane. Avoid splitting the ground plane under the USB signal traces.
Do not confuse the LF (1.8-3.6 V) and non-LF (1.8-5.5 V) K50 variants when sourcing - the part number suffix is "LF" vs "F". Both share the same silicon and pinout, but applying 5 V to the LF variant may damage the MCU. When migrating firmware between PIC18F24K50 and PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO, check the CONFIG words: the LF variant enables the LF-specific brown-out voltage trip points. Also, if migrating from older PIC18F4550 to PIC18LF24K50T-I/SO, note that the pinout of the 28-SOIC differs from the 40-pin PIC18F4550 layout - pin remapping is mandatory.
At typical USB-active loads of 30 mA from VDD plus 15 mA from VUSB, total power dissipation is under 150 mW - the 28-SOIC wide-body dissipates this with theta_JA of approximately 65 C/W, yielding a 10C junction rise above ambient. No thermal management is required for normal operation. However, in self-powered designs where the MCU sources VBUS to a downstream device, ensure the host-mode driver current does not push dissipation beyond the package's 800 mW absolute maximum.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page and distributor listings. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - not suitable for automotive AEC-Q100 applications. Industrial temperature grade -40C to +85C only.
