PIC18LF26K22-I/SS - 8-bit XLP MCU, 64KB Flash, 28-SSOP | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF26K22-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.38 | $4.38 |
| 10 | $3.85 | $38.50 |
| 100 | $3.3 | $330.00 |
| 500 | $2.9 | $1,450.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.55 | $2,550.00 |
PIC18LF26K22-I/SS Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, program and data memory, peripherals, and I/O into one package. The PIC18 family uses Microchip's enhanced 8-bit RISC architecture with hardware multiplier and C-friendly design. Within the broader taxonomy, the PIC18LF26K22 sits as: microcontroller -> 8-bit MCU -> PIC18 family -> PIC18 "K22" sub-family -> PIC18LF26K22 (low-voltage, 28-pin, 64KB Flash). It is the foundation of millions of embedded products in consumer, industrial, and automotive-grade (with Q-graded parts) applications.
Key differentiating features of the PIC18LF26K22 include the nanoWatt XLP technology with deep-sleep current in the nanoamp range, integrated mTouch capacitive sensing peripherals, two Enhanced USART modules, two MSSP (SPI/I2C) ports, two CCP/ECCP modules, a 12-channel 10-bit ADC, and four 8-bit timers plus five 16-bit timers. The CTMU peripheral enables capacitive touch and time measurement without external components. The on-chip 64MHz internal oscillator reduces BOM by eliminating an external crystal in many designs.
Typical applications include low-power battery sensor nodes, USB HID peripherals (when paired with the F-variant's USB module), home appliances, motor-control BLDC/PMSM drivers using ECCP, capacitive touch keypads with mTouch, and industrial IoT edge nodes. The wide operating voltage (1.8V-3.3V typical, 3.6V max) lets a single part cover 2xAA, Li-ion, and 3.3V regulated rails.
A key design consideration: at 64MHz and 3.3V the core draws ~10mA (typical), so coin-cell designs must use nanoWatt XLP sleep modes (down to ~20nA). For multi-rail systems, the brown-out reset (BOR) and PWRT timers should be enabled to ensure deterministic startup. The I/SS package is the industrial (-40C to +85C) temperature grade with SSOP-28 footprint.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF26K22-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 PIC18LF26K22-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Operating Temperature, Core Architecture, MSL Level.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18LF25K22-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18F26K22-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F26K22-I/SO
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF26K22-I/SO
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF26K22-E/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.12 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF26K42-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.02 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF26K22-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Architecture | PIC18 8-bit RISC enhanced |
| CPU Core | 8-bit PIC18 |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 64 KB (32K x 16) |
| RAM | 3968 bytes |
| EEPROM | 1024 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 64 MHz (16 MIPS) |
| Supply Voltage (VDD) | 1.8 V to 3.6 V |
| I/O Pins | 24 |
| ADC | 10-bit, 19 channels |
| Comparators | 2 |
| Timers (8/16-bit) | 4 x 8-bit, 5 x 16-bit |
| CCP/ECCP | 2 CCP, 1 ECCP |
| UART | 2 Enhanced USART |
| SPI / I2C | 2 MSSP (SPI/I2C) |
| Package | 28-pin SSOP (I/SS), 5.30 mm body |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Low-Power Technology | nanoWatt XLP |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18LF26K22-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA3/MCLR — Digital I/O / Master Clear (reset) input |
| Pin 2 | RA4/AN4 — Digital I/O / Analog input 4 |
| Pin 3 | RA5/AN5 — Digital I/O / Analog input 5 |
| Pin 4 | RA6 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 5 | RA7 — Digital I/O / Oscillator output |
| Pin 6 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 7 | RA0/AN0 — Digital I/O / Analog input 0 |
| Pin 8 | RA1/AN1 — Digital I/O / Analog input 1 |
| Pin 9 | RA2/AN2 — Digital I/O / Analog input 2 |
| Pin 10 | RB0/AN12 — Digital I/O / Analog input 12 / Interrupt-on-change |
| Pin 11 | RB1/AN10 — Digital I/O / Analog input 10 |
| Pin 12 | RB2/AN8 — Digital I/O / Analog input 8 |
| Pin 13 | RB3/AN9 — Digital I/O / Analog input 9 |
| Pin 14 | RB4/AN11 — Digital I/O / Analog input 11 |
| Pin 15 | RB5/AN13 — Digital I/O / Analog input 13 |
| Pin 16 | RB6/PGC — Digital I/O / ICSP clock |
| Pin 17 | RB7/PGD — Digital I/O / ICSP data |
| Pin 18 | VSS — Ground reference (second pad) |
| Pin 19 | VDD — Positive supply voltage |
| Pin 20 | RA5 — Digital I/O (alternate pin 5 function) |
| Pin 21 | RC0 — Digital I/O / PWM / USART |
| Pin 22 | RC1 — Digital I/O / PWM / USART |
| Pin 23 | RC2 — Digital I/O / PWM / MSSP |
| Pin 24 | RC3 — Digital I/O / PWM / MSSP |
| Pin 25 | RC4 — Digital I/O / MSSP |
| Pin 26 | RC5 — Digital I/O / MSSP |
| Pin 27 | RC6 — Digital I/O / USART TX |
| Pin 28 | RC7 — Digital I/O / USART RX |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF26K22-I/SS is suitable for 7 applications: Battery-Powered Wireless Sensor Node, Capacitive Touch Keypad (mTouch), BLDC / PMSM Motor Controller, USB HID Peripheral (F-Variant Pair), Industrial Control / Modbus RTU Slave, Home Appliance User Interface Board, IoT Edge Sensor / Data Logger.
Battery-Powered Wireless Sensor Node
The PIC18LF26K22-I/SS is well-suited to battery-powered wireless sensor nodes thanks to its nanoWatt XLP technology, which delivers deep-sleep currents as low as ~20 nA with RAM retention. The 1.8-3.6V VDD range covers two AA cells, a single CR2032 coin cell (with boost), or a Li-ion pack directly. The 64KB Flash holds Zigbee/BLE stack + application code, while the 3.9KB SRAM accommodates 802.15.4 frame buffers and sensor sample arrays. The integrated 10-bit ADC and CTMU interface directly with temperature, humidity, and capacitive-touch sensors without external components, lowering BOM cost.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch Keypad (mTouch)
The PIC18LF26K22-I/SS integrates the CTMU (Charge Time Measurement Unit) peripheral that enables Microchip's mTouch capacitive sensing without any external touch IC. Designers can implement up to 19 touch electrodes using the CTMU + ADC combination, sufficient for 4x4 keypads plus slider/wheel channels. The nanoWatt XLP idle mode keeps standby power under 1uA for battery-backed control panels. The 64KB Flash supports custom gesture recognition firmware, while 3.9KB RAM holds debounce and key-state buffers.
Recommended
BLDC / PMSM Motor Controller
The PIC18LF26K22-I/SS drives small BLDC and PMSM motors via its Enhanced CCP (ECCP) module, which supports center-aligned PWM, complementary outputs with programmable dead-band, and hardware fault shutdown. The 64 MHz / 16 MIPS core executes FOC and sensorless back-EMF algorithms at 32 kHz PWM rates with margin to spare. The 5 timer modules (4x8-bit, 1x16-bit) capture Hall-sensor or quadrature encoder feedback. The 1.8-3.6V supply range and small SSOP-28 footprint fit tight motor-driver boards for fans, pumps, and small appliances up to ~100 W.
Recommended
USB HID Peripheral (F-Variant Pair)
The PIC18LF26K22-I/SS acts as the low-power application coprocessor in designs where the PIC18F26K22-I/SS handles USB 2.0 full-speed enumeration and HID class protocols. The LF part runs the user-interface state machine in nanoWatt XLP sleep between USB events, dropping system power by 90% when the bus is idle. The shared SSOP-28 footprint enables a single PCB to accept either part via stuffing option, giving designers flexibility between USB-enabled (F) and pure sensor (LF) variants.
Recommended
Industrial Control / Modbus RTU Slave
The PIC18LF26K22-I/SS runs Modbus RTU slave firmware over its Enhanced USART at RS-485 baud rates up to 115.2 kbps with hardware CRC-16 support. The wide -40C to +85C industrial temperature grade handles factory-floor environments, while the 64KB Flash stores complete Modbus map, calibration tables, and event logs in EEPROM. The 12-bit-equivalent ADC accuracy (with oversampling) reads 4-20 mA loop sensors directly via a 250-ohm shunt. NanoWatt XLP modes let battery-backed remote terminals ride out power glitches gracefully.
Recommended
Home Appliance User Interface Board
The PIC18LF26K22-I/SS drives user-interface boards in washing machines, dishwashers, ovens, and HVAC controls thanks to its mix of mTouch capacitive keys, LED-driving CCP/PWM outputs, and UART link to the main appliance MCU. The 64KB Flash holds multilingual menu strings, fault-code libraries, and IoT-ready upgrade bootloaders. The industrial -40C to +85C rating covers appliance interior temperatures, and the SSOP-28 footprint is easy to hand-solder during prototyping.
Recommended
IoT Edge Sensor / Data Logger
The PIC18LF26K22-I/SS records sensor data to its 1KB on-chip EEPROM (10-year retention) or to an external SPI Flash via MSSP, waking only on a timer interrupt or external event. The nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep mode keeps idle current below 50 nA, enabling multi-year battery life on a single 2400 mAh Li-ion cell when sampling once per minute. The two MSSP ports allow simultaneous SPI Flash storage and I2C sensor interfacing (e.g., SHT30 humidity). The 64KB Flash is sufficient for TinyML inference or complex signal-processing front-ends.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF26K22-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18LF25K22-I/SS | PIC18F26K22-I/SS | PIC18LF26K42-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-pin SSOP (I/SS) | 28-pin SSOP - same | 28-pin SSOP - same | 28-pin SSOP - same |
| Flash Memory | 64 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB |
| RAM | 3968 B | 2048 B | 3968 B | 4096 B |
| Max CPU Speed | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS |
| VDD Range | 1.8V - 3.6V (LF) | 1.8V - 3.6V | 1.8V - 5.5V (F) | 1.8V - 3.6V |
| USB 2.0 | No | No | Yes | No |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
| Price (qty 1, USD) | $4.38 | $3.20 (typical) | $4.50 (typical) | $3.80 (typical) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density 64KB Flash PIC18 SSOP-28 option in the LF family (vs PIC18LF25K22-I/SS)
- Lower-voltage operation protects battery cells (vs PIC18F26K22-I/SS)
- Mature, well-documented K22 core with extensive library support (vs PIC18LF26K42-I/SS)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 64 MHz / 3.3 V the PIC18LF26K22-I/SS core consumes ~10 mA (typical from datasheet DS39976). In nanoWatt XLP deep-sleep with RTCC running, current drops to ~20-100 nA. For two-AA battery designs (3000 mAh), average current must stay under 500 uA to achieve 6-month battery life. Disable all unused peripherals in firmware via PMDx registers and configure unused pins as outputs low to minimize pin-leakage.
Place decoupling capacitors (100 nF ceramic + 10 uF bulk) within 5 mm of VDD (pin 19) and VSS (pin 18). The SSOP-28 footprint accepts a 0.65 mm pitch land pattern; ensure the MCLR pin has its own 10 kohm pull-up to VDD and a 100 nF decoupling cap to ground for noise-free resets. Keep analog traces (RA0-RA5, RBx-ANxx) short and routed away from PWM/USART switching signals to preserve ADC accuracy.
The ICSP pins (RB6/PGC, RB7/PGD) double as in-circuit programming and debugging lines; do not place series resistors larger than 100 ohm on these pins or programming may fail. Route MCLR separately from analog inputs. For mTouch designs, use a ground-fill keepout under touch electrodes per Microchip AN1258 to maximize sensitivity. The 28-pin SSOP body is 5.30 mm wide with 0.65 mm lead pitch - allocate PCB keepout accordingly.
Do not assume the LF (1.8-3.6V) variant can operate at 5V - exceeding 3.6V VDD will damage EEPROM and stress the silicon. Brown-out Reset (BOR) must be enabled for deterministic startup; without it, the part may execute code at indeterminate VDD levels and corrupt EEPROM. The internal 64 MHz oscillator is factory-trimmed but may need user calibration over temperature for UART timing-critical applications.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page. The I/SS industrial grade is NOT AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive, use the PIC18F26K22-E/SS extended grade or a Q-graded variant.
