PIC18LF26J11-I/SO - 8-Bit 48MHz 64KB Flash XLP MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF26J11-I/SO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.16 | $4.16 |
| 10 | $3.74 | $37.40 |
| 100 | $3.14 | $314.00 |
| 500 | $2.74 | $1,370.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.46 | $2,460.00 |
PIC18LF26J11-I/SO Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer containing a CPU core, program memory (Flash), data memory (RAM), non-volatile EEPROM, and a rich set of on-chip peripherals such as timers, ADC, communication interfaces, and I/O. The PIC18LF26J11 sits within the PIC18 RISC family and belongs to the power-management-IC-adjacent hierarchy of embedded controllers; PIC18 -> 8-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor IC. Its XLP designation targets ultra-low standby current (<100 nA typical) for energy harvesting, IoT, and portable consumer products.
Key features include 64KB (32K x 16) self-programmable Flash with 10K Erase/Write cycles, 4KB SRAM, an internal 31 kHz to 8 MHz oscillator with PLL (x4) reaching 48 MHz, 10-bit ADC with up to 10 channels, two analog comparators, two USART/SPI/I2C modules (ECCP/CCP/SSP), and a 16-bit Enhanced Capture/Compare/PWM peripheral. The 28-SOIC (0.295" / 7.50 mm) package is industrial-grade rated -40C to +85C and offers an easy migration path to other PIC18LF26/25/24J11 variants.
Architecturally the device uses a modified Harvard 8-bit RISC core with single-cycle 16-bit instruction fetch and 8-bit data path, which simplifies code density and deterministic timing. nanoWatt XLP technology adds deep sleep, sleep with RTCC, and idle modes to extend battery life. The integrated 31kHz-8MHz HF internal RC oscillator eliminates the need for an external crystal in many designs, reducing BOM cost.
Typical applications include portable medical devices (glucose meters, pulse oximeters), low-power wireless sensor nodes, smart thermostats, USB HID peripherals, consumer appliances, and battery-powered IoT edge nodes. The combination of 12 MIPS throughput, XLP standby current, and a familiar PIC18 toolchain makes the part attractive for designers migrating from older 8-bit architectures.
When designing with the PIC18LF26J11-I/SO, ensure the supply voltage never exceeds 3.6V (the LF version is not 5V tolerant like PIC18F26J11) and select the appropriate configuration bits for the internal oscillator vs. external crystal. The 28-SOIC wide footprint simplifies hand-prototyping and reflow soldering; for hand-assembly or breadboard work, consider the PIC18LF26J11-I/SP (SPDIP-28) variant.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF26J11-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 PIC18LF26J11-I/SO (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Core Architecture, Program Memory (Flash), Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F26J11-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$2.18 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF26J11-I/SP
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF25J11-I/SO
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF24J11-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF46J11-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF25K50-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.15 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF25K42-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.62 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF26J11-I/SO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC 8-bit RISC (Harvard) |
| Family | PIC18 J-series (XLP eXtreme Low Power) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 64 KB (32K x 16 words) |
| SRAM | 4 KB |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) |
| Supply Voltage (Vdd) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| I/O Pins | 21 (varies; see pinout) |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 10 channels |
| Timers | 4 (8-bit/16-bit mix including RTCC) |
| Communication | 2x EUSART, 2x MSSP (SPI/I2C) |
| PWM Channels | ECCP + 2 CCP |
| Comparators | 2 analog comparators |
| Package | 28-SOIC (0.295" / 7.50 mm wide), I-grade |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited floor life, JEDEC J-STD-020) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free / Halogen-Free | Yes |
PIC18LF26J11-I/SO Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0/AN0 — Digital I/O / Analog input 0 / CVref |
| Pin 2 | RA1/AN1 — Digital I/O / Analog input 1 |
| Pin 3 | RA2/AN2/Vref- — Digital I/O / Analog input 2 / ADC Vref- |
| Pin 4 | RA3/AN3/Vref+ — Digital I/O / Analog input 3 / ADC Vref+ |
| Pin 5 | RA4 — Digital I/O / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 6 | RA5/AN4 — Digital I/O / Analog input 4 / HLVDIN |
| Pin 7 | Vcap — Internal voltage regulator bypass capacitor |
| Pin 8 | Vss — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | OSC1/CLKIN/RA7 — External oscillator input / digital I/O |
| Pin 10 | OSC2/CLKOUT/RA6 — External oscillator output / digital I/O |
| Pin 11 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI — Digital I/O / Timer1 oscillator |
| Pin 12 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — Digital I/O / Timer1 oscillator / CCP2 |
| Pin 13 | RC2/CCP1 — Digital I/O / CCP1 PWM output |
| Pin 14 | RC3/SCK1/SCL1 — Digital I/O / SPI clock / I2C clock |
| Pin 15 | RC4/SDI1/SDA1 — Digital I/O / SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 16 | RC5/SDO1 — Digital I/O / SPI data out |
| Pin 17 | RC6/TX1/CK1 — Digital I/O / EUSART1 TX / clock |
| Pin 18 | RC7/RX1/DT1 — Digital I/O / EUSART1 RX / data |
| Pin 19 | Vss — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | Vdd — Positive supply (2.0V-3.6V) |
| Pin 21 | RB0/AN12/INT0 — Digital I/O / analog / external interrupt 0 |
| Pin 22 | RB1/AN10/INT1 — Digital I/O / analog / external interrupt 1 |
| Pin 23 | RB2/AN8 — Digital I/O / analog input |
| Pin 24 | RB3/AN9 — Digital I/O / analog input |
| Pin 25 | RB4/AN11 — Digital I/O / analog input |
| Pin 26 | RB5/AN13 — Digital I/O / analog input |
| Pin 27 | RB6/PGC — Digital I/O / ICSP clock |
| Pin 28 | RB7/PGD — Digital I/O / ICSP data |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF26J11-I/SO is suitable for 7 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, Portable Medical Devices, USB HID Peripherals and Consumer Devices, Smart Home and Building Automation, Industrial Control and HMI Panels, Automotive Interior and Aftermarket Accessories, Energy Harvesting Wireless Switches.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC18LF26J11-I/SO is well-suited for coin-cell and 2xAA battery powered wireless sensor nodes thanks to its nanoWatt XLP technology delivering standby currents below 100 nA with RTCC running. The integrated 31 kHz to 8 MHz internal oscillator eliminates the need for an external crystal, reducing BOM cost and PCB area, while the 48 MHz PLL mode gives 12 MIPS for short active bursts of sensor sampling and radio packet transmission. The 64 KB Flash accommodates the full Zigbee, LoRa, or Bluetooth Low Energy stack and application code. Designers can take advantage of the four timer modules and ECCP/CCP PWM for power-rail switching, while two analog comparators handle low-side battery monitoring. Pin-compatible migration to the PIC18LF25K42 family is straightforward when modern CIP peripherals are needed.
Recommended
Portable Medical Devices
Portable medical devices such as glucose meters, pulse oximeters, and handheld patient monitors benefit from the PIC18LF26J11-I/SO's combination of low voltage operation (2.0V-3.6V), 64 KB of self-programmable Flash for FDA audit-trail logging, and 12 MIPS throughput that delivers real-time responsiveness. The 10-bit ADC with up to 10 channels handles multi-sensor acquisition (SpO2, temperature, motion), while two analog comparators enable low-latency threshold detection. nanoWatt XLP sleep modes extend battery life to months on a single CR2032 cell. The 28-SOIC wide footprint provides excellent thermal dissipation and robust manufacturing yields. Software stack reuse from PIC18F/LF development accelerates IEC 62304 certification for Class II/III medical devices.
Recommended
USB HID Peripherals and Consumer Devices
The PIC18LF26J11-I/SO can implement USB HID peripherals (keyboards, mice, remote controls, custom HID interfaces) when paired with an external USB transceiver and the appropriate Microchip USB stack. The two EUSART modules enable simultaneous USB-virtual-COM and external UART debugging, while 4 KB SRAM accommodates HID report buffers and bootloader operation. 64 KB Flash holds the USB stack and full application. The 12 MIPS throughput handles USB 1.1 full-speed polling and HID report generation without timing issues. Designers migrating to USB-aware designs should consider the pin-compatible PIC18LF25K50-I/SO with integrated USB 2.0 full-speed peripheral for a single-chip solution.
Recommended
Smart Home and Building Automation
Smart thermostats, HVAC controllers, and building-automation sensors benefit from the PIC18LF26J11-I/SO's 64 KB flash for application code and the 4 KB SRAM for protocol stacks (Modbus, BACnet, KNX). The two EUSART modules support simultaneous Modbus RTU master and slave operation, while MSSP ports drive SPI sensors and I2C peripherals (EEPROM, RTC). 10-bit ADC with up to 10 channels handles temperature, humidity, and current monitoring. Industrial-grade temperature range (-40C to +85C) and low power consumption suit wall-powered and battery-backup designs alike. Drop-in compatibility with the PIC18F26J11-I/SO enables 5V-tolerant field installations.
Recommended
Industrial Control and HMI Panels
The PIC18LF26J11-I/SO drives small human-machine interface (HMI) panels in industrial controls, including keypad scanning, LCD bias generation via PWM, and serial communication with a host PLC. Its 48 MHz operation (12 MIPS) executes key debouncing, character translation, and serial framing in real time. The two analog comparators enable fast over-current or over-voltage shutdown without software intervention. Industrial temperature range and robust SOIC packaging suit factory-floor environments. Migration path to PIC18F26K83-I/SO delivers modern CIP peripherals for safety-critical shutdown handlers, while preserving the same 28-SOIC footprint.
Recommended
Automotive Interior and Aftermarket Accessories
The PIC18LF26J11-I/SO is used in non-safety automotive interior applications such as ambient lighting controllers, aftermarket alarm modules, head-unit accessories, and seat-control peripherals. The 28-SOIC industrial-grade part operates across -40C to +85C cabin temperatures. EUSART and MSSP ports drive LIN-bus slave interfaces commonly found in body-electronics modules, while PWM channels drive LED strings and motor-control outputs. For safety-critical applications requiring AEC-Q100 qualification, designers should migrate to the PIC18F26K83-E/SO extended-temperature variant or select an automotive-grade equivalent.
Recommended
Energy Harvesting Wireless Switches
Energy-harvesting wireless switches (EnOcean, Bluetooth Energy Harvesting, custom 433/915 MHz solutions) use the PIC18LF26J11-I/SO because its nanoWatt XLP sleep current of <100 nA combined with ultra-fast wake-up time (4 instruction cycles from sleep to full-speed execution) suits intermittent operation from piezoelectric or solar harvesters. The 64 KB Flash stores the radio stack and energy-budget state machine, while two analog comparators and the 10-bit ADC monitor the harvester output voltage and energy storage element. The 28-SOIC wide package is small enough for wall-switch form factors.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF26J11-I/SO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F26J11-I/SO | PIC18LF25J11-I/SO | PIC18LF25K50-I/SO | PIC18LF25K42-I/SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SOIC (0.295 in) | 28-SOIC (0.295 in) - same | 28-SOIC (0.295 in) - same | 28-SOIC (0.295 in) - same | 28-SOIC (0.295 in) - same |
| Flash Memory | 64 KB | 64 KB | 32 KB (-50%) | 32 KB (-50%) | 32 KB (-50%) |
| SRAM | 4 KB | 4 KB | 4 KB | 2 KB (-50%) | 2 KB (-50%) |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 3.6 V (5V-tolerant I/O) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V (5V-tolerant I/O) | 1.8 V to 5.5 V (5V-tolerant I/O) |
| Maximum Frequency | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS (+33%) |
| ADC | 10-bit, 10 ch | 10-bit, 10 ch | 10-bit, 10 ch | 10-bit, 14 ch | 12-bit, 17 ch (better) |
| USB Peripheral | No (external transceiver required) | No (external transceiver required) | No (external transceiver required) | Yes (USB 2.0 FS integrated) | No (but has CWG/DAC) |
| XLP Sleep Current | <100 nA typical | <100 nA typical | <100 nA typical | <50 nA typical | <50 nA typical |
Key Differentiators
- Larger Flash and SRAM than K50/K42 alternatives (vs PIC18LF25K50-I/SO)
- True 3.3V optimized with no 5V tolerance issues (vs PIC18F26J11-I/SO)
- Higher 64 MHz throughput when migrated to K42 family (vs PIC18LF25K42-I/SO)
Design Notes
Place a 10uF ceramic bypass capacitor as close as possible to the Vdd pin (pin 20) and a 0.1uF decoupling capacitor adjacent to it for high-frequency noise suppression. Connect Vss (pin 8 and pin 19) directly to the ground plane using short, wide traces - both ground pins must be returned to the same net. The internal voltage regulator on pin 7 (Vcap) requires a 10uF ceramic capacitor to Vss to ensure regulator stability across the full operating range; do not omit this capacitor or regulator oscillation may occur. The 'LF' variant operates from 2.0V-3.6V; do not exceed 3.6V on Vdd or pin damage will result. Estimated quiescent current at 3.3V idle is approximately 2.5 mA at 48 MHz with peripherals enabled, dropping to <100 nA in sleep mode.
When using the 28-SOIC wide package, keep traces under the IC body to a minimum and use a continuous ground plane on the top layer beneath the part. The exposed pad variant is not used on the SOIC; thermal dissipation relies on the PCB copper pour connected to Vss. Place the ICSP header (PGC pin 27, PGD pin 28) near the edge of the board for in-circuit programming access without disassembling the enclosure. For crystal or external oscillator operation, route OSC1 (pin 9) and OSC2 (pin 10) traces symmetrically with short stubs to avoid stray capacitance; if using the internal 31 kHz-8 MHz oscillator the OSC pins can serve as general-purpose digital I/O (RA6/RA7).
The 'LF' prefix is critical - the PIC18LF26J11-I/SO is NOT 5V tolerant on its digital I/O pins. Exceeding Vdd + 0.3V on any I/O will inject latch-up current and may damage the part; use the PIC18F26J11-I/SO (5V-tolerant on remappable pins) for mixed-voltage designs. Configuration bits must be set correctly for the chosen oscillator source - selecting HS mode with the internal oscillator can prevent start-up. Do not load the 28-SOIC wide variant onto the 28-SOIC narrow footprint (300 mil vs 209 mil); the lead pitch is the same (1.27 mm) but body width differs. Verify date code and errata (DS80345 covers silicon rev B1 silicon rev issues) before committing to high-volume production.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose PIC18F26K83-E/SO extended-temperature variant for harsh environment applications. Lead-free finish per JEDEC J-STD-020 MSL-1 rating.
