PIC18LF25J50-I/SS - 8-bit 48MHz USB MCU 32KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF25J50-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.2 | $4.20 |
| 10 | $3.78 | $37.80 |
| 100 | $3.36 | $336.00 |
| 500 | $2.94 | $1,470.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.55 | $2,550.00 |
PIC18LF25J50-I/SS Overview
A PIC18 microcontroller is a member of Microchip's 8-bit PIC (Peripheral Interface Controller) family, a RISC-based Harvard-architecture MCU line that occupies the microcontroller -> 8-bit MCU -> embedded controller taxonomy within integrated circuits. The PIC18F/LF J-series specifically targets USB-enabled and low-power embedded designs, bridging the gap between traditional PIC16 parts and the higher-pin-count PIC24/dsPIC families.
Key features include 32 KB of self-programmable Flash, 4 KB SRAM, a full-speed USB 2.0 SIE (Serial Interface Engine) with on-chip transceiver, a 10-bit ADC up to 13 channels, two analog comparators, four 16-bit timers, two UART, SPI, and I2C peripherals. The LF variant operates from 2.0 V to 3.6 V, while the F variant extends to 5.5 V. nanoWatt XLP technology provides sleep currents in the nanoamp range, making the part suitable for battery-powered USB peripherals.
Architecturally, the PIC18LF25J50 uses a modified Harvard structure with separate program Flash and data SRAM buses, a 16-bit instruction word optimized for C compilation, and a priority-based interrupt controller supporting both legacy and vectored interrupts. The integrated USB SIE handles protocol layer functions, allowing USB device operation using only external bus pull-up and decoupling components.
Typical applications include USB-to-UART bridges, USB human-interface devices (HID) such as keyboards/mouse dongles, USB sensor nodes, USB charging controllers, embedded data loggers with USB upload, and low-power portable instrumentation with USB connectivity. The combination of USB and nanoWatt XLP also makes it ideal for medical and industrial USB dongles.
When designing with this part, place the 28-SSOP decoupling capacitors close to VDD/AVDD pins, route the D+/D- USB signals as a 90-ohm differential pair with matched length, and verify the external 3.3 V regulator meets USB suspend current requirements (<2.5 mA for low-power device class). Always reference the PIC18F46J50 family datasheet (DS-39775) for complete peripheral and electrical specifications.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-package drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not collected in the manufacturer datasheet, supporting faster component selection for embedded engineers.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF25J50-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 PIC18LF25J50-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Core Architecture, MSL Level, Operating Temperature, Package.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F25J50-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF26J50-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF24J50-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF25J50-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F45J50-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF24K50-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F24K50-I/SS
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF25J50-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC 8-bit RISC Harvard |
| Series | PIC18 LF J-series (PIC18LF2XJXX/4XJXX family) |
| CPU Frequency | 48 MHz max |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 32 KB (16K x 16 words) |
| RAM | 4 KB |
| Operating Voltage (VDD) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| USB Interface | USB 2.0 Full-Speed device with on-chip transceiver |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 13 channels |
| Timers | 4 x 16-bit |
| UART | 2 |
| SPI | 1 |
| I2C (MSSP) | 1 |
| Analog Comparators | 2 |
| I/O Pins | 22 |
| Package | 28-pin SSOP (5.30 mm body width) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial -I grade) |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited) |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (Compliant) |
| Low-Power Feature | nanoWatt XLP (eXtreme Low Power) |
PIC18LF25J50-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/RE3 — Master Clear (reset) input / digital I/O |
| Pin 2 | RA0 — PORTA digital I/O bit0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1 — PORTA digital I/O bit1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2 — PORTA digital I/O bit2 |
| Pin 5 | RA3 — PORTA digital I/O bit3 |
| Pin 6 | RA4 — PORTA digital I/O bit4 |
| Pin 7 | RA5 — PORTA digital I/O bit5 |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | RA7/OSC1 — PORTA digital I/O bit7 / oscillator input |
| Pin 10 | RA6/OSC2 — PORTA digital I/O bit6 / oscillator output |
| Pin 11 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 12 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 13 | RB0/PGD — PORTB I/O bit0 / programming data |
| Pin 14 | RB1/PGC — PORTB I/O bit1 / programming clock |
| Pin 15 | RB2 — PORTB I/O bit2 |
| Pin 16 | RB3 — PORTB I/O bit3 |
| Pin 17 | RB4/D- — PORTB I/O bit4 / USB D- (data minus) |
| Pin 18 | RB5/D+ — PORTB I/O bit5 / USB D+ (data plus) |
| Pin 19 | RB6 — PORTB I/O bit6 |
| Pin 20 | RB7 — PORTB I/O bit7 |
| Pin 21 | RC0 — PORTC digital I/O bit0 |
| Pin 22 | RC1 — PORTC digital I/O bit1 |
| Pin 23 | RC2 — PORTC digital I/O bit2 |
| Pin 24 | RC3 — PORTC digital I/O bit3 |
| Pin 25 | RC4 — PORTC digital I/O bit4 |
| Pin 26 | RC5 — PORTC digital I/O bit5 |
| Pin 27 | RC6 — PORTC digital I/O bit6 / VUSB 3V3 output |
| Pin 28 | RC7 — PORTC digital I/O bit7 |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF25J50-I/SS is suitable for 6 applications: USB-to-UART Bridge Converter, USB HID Peripheral Dongle, USB Battery Charger Controller, Industrial USB Sensor Data Logger, Portable USB Medical Instrument Dongle, USB-Connected Sensor Hub / IoT Edge Node.
USB-to-UART Bridge Converter
The PIC18LF25J50-I/SS is purpose-fit for USB-to-UART bridge converters such as CP2102 replacement designs, thanks to its integrated USB 2.0 Full-Speed SIE and dual UART peripherals. Its 48 MHz CPU clock sustains 12 Mbps USB throughput while leaving cycles for transparent serial protocol translation at rates up to 921600 baud. Placed in a 28-SSOP package with 22 user I/O, it implements the full bridge with no external PHY, minimizing BOM cost and PCB area versus designs using external USB transceivers. The nanoWatt XLP technology enables USB suspend compliance (<2.5 mA) for the bus-powered device class, while 32 KB Flash holds CDC-IACM firmware plus bootloader for in-field firmware updates.
Recommended
USB HID Peripheral Dongle
The PIC18LF25J50-I/SS fits USB HID peripherals (keyboards, mouse dongles, gamepads, custom HID devices) through its integrated USB SIE and 32 KB Flash that holds full HID class drivers plus custom HID descriptors. The 48 MHz CPU processes HID reports with sub-millisecond latency, while four 16-bit timers support debouncing and LED/PWM breathing effects. With nanoWatt XLP, battery-powered HID dongles achieve multi-year coin-cell life by entering Sleep between HID reports. The 28-SSOP package supports compact dongle form factors, and 22 I/O provide ample pins for matrix-scanned keypads or sensor inputs alongside the USB interface.
Recommended
USB Battery Charger Controller
The PIC18LF25J50-I/SS is well-matched to USB Battery Charging Specification (BC1.2) and proprietary charging protocols. Its 10-bit ADC monitors battery voltage and current, while PWM + timers drive switch-mode charger control loops. 32 KB Flash supports BC1.2 detection state machines plus optional SMBus/MCP SMBus host emulation for smart batteries. The 2.0 V minimum VDD allows direct operation from a single Li-ion cell when VBUS is absent, and nanoWatt XLP reduces standby drain to <1 uA - critical for long-shelf-life USB chargers. The 28-SSOP fits compact wall-wart and power-bank enclosures with thermal headroom up to 1 W dissipation.
Recommended
Industrial USB Sensor Data Logger
The PIC18LF25J50-I/SS is fit for industrial USB sensor data loggers in factory automation and predictive maintenance. Its integrated USB enables direct PC connectivity without external bridges, while 4 KB RAM buffers sensor samples between USB transfers and 32 KB Flash stores a lightweight file system. The 10-bit ADC with up to 13 channels scans multiple analog sensors (temperature, pressure, vibration) at sample rates up to 100 kHz when CPU clock is shared. nanoWatt XLP provides Sleep currents below 1 uA for battery-backed loggers between sample bursts, and the -40C to +85C industrial temperature range covers most factory environments.
Recommended
Portable USB Medical Instrument Dongle
The PIC18LF25J50-I/SS fits portable medical USB dongles (e.g. personal ECG, glucose meter interfaces, hearing-aid programmers) thanks to its low-voltage LF operation and nanoWatt XLP. The 10-bit ADC captures analog medical signals while the USB SIE streams data to a host PC running diagnostic software. 32 KB Flash fits USB CDC plus custom protocol firmware, with 4 KB RAM buffering sample streams. Operating from a single Li-ion cell down to 2.0 V VDD enables direct battery operation, while Sleep mode draws <1 uA for shelf-stable medical peripherals awaiting patient use. The 28-SSOP supports miniaturized dongle PCB layouts.
Recommended
USB-Connected Sensor Hub / IoT Edge Node
The PIC18LF25J50-I/SS is fit for IoT edge nodes that require USB backhaul rather than wireless (e.g. wired USB sensor hubs, building automation modules). Its integrated USB enables plug-and-play enumeration on the host, while SPI/I2C/UART connect to off-board sensors and actuators. 32 KB Flash holds application firmware plus USB stack and bootloader, and 4 KB RAM buffers data between USB frames and sensor transactions. nanoWatt XLP enables bus-powered or battery-mains hybrid operation, where the node Sleeps when USB host suspends. The 22 I/O provides ample GPIO for status LEDs, control relays, and sensor interfaces in a single 28-SSOP chip.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF25J50-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F25J50-I/SS | PIC18LF26J50-I/SS | PIC18LF24J50-I/SS | PIC18F45J50-I/SS | PIC18LF24K50-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | SSOP-28 | SSOP-28 (same) | SSOP-28 (same) | SSOP-28 (same) | SSOP-28 (same) | SSOP-28 (same) |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Flash Memory | 32 KB | 32 KB (same) | 64 KB (+100%) | 16 KB (-50%) | 32 KB (same) | 16 KB (-50%) |
| RAM | 4 KB | 4 KB (same) | 4 KB (same) | 2 KB (-50%) | 4 KB (same) | 2 KB (-50%) |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.0 V to 3.6 V (LF) | 2.0 V to 5.5 V (F) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V (LF) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V (LF) | 2.0 V to 5.5 V (F) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V (LF) |
| CPU Frequency | 48 MHz | 48 MHz (same) | 48 MHz (same) | 48 MHz (same) | 48 MHz (same) | 48 MHz (same) |
| USB Interface | Full-Speed USB 2.0 device | Full-Speed USB 2.0 device | Full-Speed USB 2.0 device | Full-Speed USB 2.0 device | Full-Speed USB 2.0 device | Full-Speed USB 2.0 device |
| Generation / Family | J-series (PIC18F2XJXX/4XJXX) | J-series (same) | J-series (same) | J-series (same) | J-series (same) | K-series (next-gen) |
Key Differentiators
- Higher Flash density within the J-series SSOP-28 family (vs PIC18LF24J50-I/SS)
- Direct LF low-voltage 2.0-3.6V operation, no external LDO required (vs PIC18F25J50-I/SS)
- Integrated USB 2.0 transceiver + nanoWatt XLP for low-power USB (vs PIC18LF24K50-I/SS)
Design Notes
USB bus-powered designs must limit average current draw to USB suspend threshold (<2.5 mA for USB 2.0 device class) when host suspends the bus. Place a 10 uF bulk capacitor on VBUS and 0.1 uF decoupling on each VDD/VSS pin pair. The internal 3.3V VUSB regulator (pin 27 / RC6) requires a 220 nF capacitor; failure to add this cap prevents USB enumeration. Use the nanoWatt XLP Sleep mode with USB suspended to meet the <2.5 mA budget in battery-backed designs.
Route the USB D+ and D- signals (RB4/RB5, pins 17-18) as a 90-ohm differential pair with matched lengths to within 150 mil, and place a 15 kohm pull-down on each line. Keep D+/D- traces short and away from switching nodes or oscillators. The 28-SSOP body is 5.30 mm wide - leave at least 6 mm of PCB width for the land pattern plus trace escape routing. Connect all VSS pins to a single ground plane; do not split analog/digital ground under this device.
Do not exceed the 3.6 V absolute maximum VDD rating on the LF variant - applying 5V to VDD permanently damages the part. For 5V-only systems, use the PIC18F25J50-I/SS instead. The /SS suffix indicates SSOP-28 package; mixing /SS and /SO (SOIC-28) or /SP (SPDIP-28) parts on the same PCB will cause footprint mismatch. Verify the programming pins (PGC/PGD on RB1/RB0, pins 13-14) are accessible to the ICSP connector for in-system programming.
The 10-bit ADC accuracy is dependent on a clean AVDD supply. Place 100 nF + 10 uF decoupling on the analog supply rail and route AVSS directly to the ground plane star point. For ADC sampling rates above 100 kHz, add an RC anti-aliasing filter on each analog input. The MSSP peripheral's SPI can operate up to 10 MHz when FOSC = 48 MHz - ensure SPI slave devices tolerate that clock rate and the SPI trace length is short.
Compliance Information
Lead-free and RoHS compliant per Microchip product page; AEC-Q100 not applicable for non-automotive microcontroller. MSL-1 (unlimited) moisture sensitivity per JEDEC J-STD-020.
