PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS - 128KB Flash 8-bit MCU 48MHz SSOP-28 | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.2 | $6.20 |
| 10 | $5.58 | $55.80 |
| 100 | $4.95 | $495.00 |
| 500 | $4.42 | $2,210.00 |
| 1,000 | $3.95 | $3,950.00 |
PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller is a single-chip computer built around an 8-bit data path, optimized for embedded control tasks such as sensor interfacing, motor control, and human-machine interfaces. Within the broader hierarchy, microcontrollers sit below microprocessors and belong to the power management and embedded systems domain. The PIC18 family uses a modified Harvard architecture with separate program and data buses, and the J-series specifically adds peripherals such as a 12-bit ADC, comparators, and enhanced PWM/capture modules while keeping the same PIC18 instruction set.
Key features include a 10-channel 12-bit ADC with automated Channel Scan mode, dual analog comparators, four 16-bit timers, two Capture/Compare/PWM (CCP) modules plus one Enhanced CCP (ECCP), two USART modules with LIN support, two SPI/I2C-compatible MSSP peripherals, and an integrated hardware RTCC. The /LF supply range of 2.0 V to 3.6 V makes the part drop-in compatible with single-cell Li-ion or two-cell alkaline battery rails. nanoWatt XLP technology delivers sleep currents in the nanoamp range, enabling years of operation on a single coin cell.
The CPU executes a 16-bit instruction word over an 8-bit data bus, with a hardware multiplier and C-friendly architecture that supports pointer manipulation and a software stack. An integrated 31 kHz internal oscillator and a 48 MHz internal RC oscillator eliminate the need for an external crystal in cost-sensitive designs, while a PLL provides 48 MHz from the 4 MHz INTOSC source.
Typical applications include portable medical monitoring devices, IoT sensor nodes, USB-to-UART bridges (using the MSSP/USART peripherals), low-power wireless HMI controls, and industrial sensor transmitters. The wide memory and peripheral set also suits appliance controllers and LED driver front-ends.
When designing, verify the maximum I/O current budget per pin (typically 25 mA source/sink) and per port (typically 200 mA), and add adequate decoupling (0.1 uF + 10 uF) close to the VDD/VSS pairs. For low-power designs, follow Microchip TB1200 application note guidelines and use the deep-sleep watchdog and RTCC for wake-up events instead of polling.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes for the PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS that are not always present in the manufacturer datasheet summary.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF27J13T-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 PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, Operating Temperature, Core Architecture, Timers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18LF27J13-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.41 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F27J13-I/SS
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$3.7 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18F27J13T-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.04 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF26K83-I/SS
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$2.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF26K22-I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC 8-bit, modified Harvard |
| Series | PIC18 J-series (PIC18LF27J13) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 128 KB (64K x 16 words) |
| Data RAM | 4 KB |
| CPU Speed (Max) | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS |
| Operating Voltage (Vdd) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| ADC | 10-channel, 12-bit |
| Timers | 4 x 16-bit |
| CCP / ECCP | 2 x CCP + 1 x ECCP |
| Communication | 2 x USART (LIN), 2 x MSSP (SPI/I2C) |
| Comparators | 2 analog comparators |
| RTCC | Hardware Real-Time Clock & Calendar |
| Internal Oscillator | 31 kHz + 8 MHz / 48 MHz with PLL |
| Package | SSOP-28 (5.30 mm / 0.209 in body width) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial, /I) |
| Low-Power Tech | nanoWatt XLP |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2/AN2/CVREF — Digital I/O / Analog input / Comparator reference |
| Pin 2 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — Digital I/O / Analog input / ADC VREF+ |
| Pin 3 | RA4/T0CKI — Digital I/O / Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 4 | RA5/AN4/C1INA — Digital I/O / Analog input / Comparator 1 inverting input A |
| Pin 5 | RA6 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 6 | RA7 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 7 | Vss — Ground reference |
| Pin 8 | VDD — Positive supply (2.0 V to 3.6 V) |
| Pin 9 | OSC1/CLKI/RA1 — Crystal / external clock input |
| Pin 10 | OSC2/CLKO/RA0 — Crystal / clock output |
| Pin 11 | RC0/SOSCO — Digital I/O / Secondary oscillator output |
| Pin 12 | RC1/SOSCI — Digital I/O / Secondary oscillator input |
| Pin 13 | RC2/CCP1 — Digital I/O / CCP1 I/O |
| Pin 14 | RC3/SCK/SCL — Digital I/O / SPI clock / I2C clock |
| Pin 15 | RC4/SDI/SDA — Digital I/O / SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 16 | RC5/SDO — Digital I/O / SPI data out |
| Pin 17 | RC6/TX/CK — Digital I/O / USART TX / clock |
| Pin 18 | RC7/RX/DT — Digital I/O / USART RX / data |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply (2.0 V to 3.6 V) |
| Pin 21 | RB0/AN12/INT0 — Digital I/O / Analog input / External interrupt 0 |
| Pin 22 | RB1/AN10 — Digital I/O / Analog input |
| Pin 23 | RB2/AN8 — Digital I/O / Analog input |
| Pin 24 | RB3/AN9/CCP2 — Digital I/O / Analog input / CCP2 I/O |
| 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
PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS is suitable for 6 applications: Portable Medical Sensor Device, IoT Sensor Node with UART/SPI Bridge, Industrial Sensor Transmitter (4-20 mA / HART-lite), Battery-Powered HMI Controller, LED Lighting Controller with DMX/RDM, USB-to-UART Bridge Firmware Replacement.
Portable Medical Sensor Device
The PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS fits battery-powered medical peripherals such as pulse-oximeter probes, glucose-meter front-ends, and handheld spirometers. Its 2.0-3.6 V VDD range accepts a single Li-ion cell directly, while the nanoWatt XLP sleep current below 100 nA keeps standby drain low for weeks of shelf life. The 10-channel 12-bit ADC captures photodiode, thermistor, and electrochemical sensor signals at up to 200 ksps; the integrated RTCC timestamps measurements without a separate RTC IC. With 128 KB of Flash, the firmware fits a USB-CDC stack, a graphical LCD driver, and measurement history buffers, while the 4 KB RAM handles Bluetooth HCI command queues via USART. Companion parts include the MCP6002 op-amp for signal conditioning and the MCP1700 LDO for rail regulation.
Recommended
IoT Sensor Node with UART/SPI Bridge
For battery-powered IoT sensor nodes, the PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS acts as the application host that wakes on the hardware RTCC, reads sensors over I2C/SPI via the two MSSP peripherals, and forwards aggregated data over UART to a Wi-Fi/BLE module. The 12 MIPS throughput is sufficient for modest edge-processing tasks such as moving-average filtering, threshold detection, and JSON serialization. The 48 MHz core supports up to 8 MHz SPI clock, allowing direct interfacing to SPI-based accelerometers, gyros, and environmental sensors without wait-states. Low-power nanoWatt XLP idle (1 uA typical with RTCC + WDT) enables multi-year coin-cell operation in duty-cycled deployments. Companion parts include the ATECC608B secure element for authentication and the MCP9808 temperature sensor.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Transmitter (4-20 mA / HART-lite)
In industrial 4-20 mA loop-powered transmitters, the PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS digitizes sensor signals from a pressure transducer, RTD, or load cell through the 12-bit ADC, then drives the loop via the ECCP PWM and a current-setting op-amp circuit. The /LF low-voltage variant allows a switching pre-regulator topology that operates from a loop voltage down to 8 V. The 4 KB RAM supports moving-window averaging, linearization tables, and HART-lite protocol state machines. The -40 C to +85 C industrial temperature grade covers outdoor and process-plant environments without derating. The two USART modules enable simultaneous HART modulation on one channel and diagnostic UART on the other. Companion parts include the XTR105 loop-current IC and the REF200 precision current reference.
Recommended
Battery-Powered HMI Controller
The PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS drives small graphical or segment LCD HMI panels in handheld remotes, thermostat keypads, and appliance controllers. The 48 MHz core provides enough MIPS to refresh 4-commom duty multiplexed segment LCDs with smooth animations, while the ECCP module generates LCD bias waveforms via PWM plus external charge pumps. 128 KB Flash supports multi-language UI strings and bitmap icons, and the 4 KB RAM stores button debounce state, menu stack, and communication buffers. The /LF voltage range matches 2x AA / 2x AAA / coin-cell rails. The internal 31 kHz oscillator provides an accurate timebase for sleep-mode wake-up scheduling without external crystal cost. Companion parts include the MCP1700 LDO and a small SPI Flash for asset data logging.
Recommended
LED Lighting Controller with DMX/RDM
For architectural LED lighting strips, the PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS generates up to 24 channels of PWM LED dimming through its CCP/ECCP and Timer-based PWM channels, while the USART handles DMX512 / RDM communication at 250 kbaud. The 12 MIPS throughput manages up to 30 Hz refresh of 24 PWM channels with gamma-correction lookup in RAM. The /LF voltage range suits 3.3 V system rails common in LED drivers. nanoWatt XLP sleep modes support a power-down standby current under 1 uA, allowing the lighting fixture to comply with energy-conservation standards. The 128 KB Flash holds DMX personality profiles and show-recording scripts; the 4 KB RAM keeps working frame buffers. Companion parts include the TLC5947 LED driver and an RS-485 transceiver for DMX physical layer.
Recommended
USB-to-UART Bridge Firmware Replacement
Although the PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS lacks native USB, its two USART peripherals and 48 MHz CPU make it a capable host MCU that talks to external USB-to-UART bridges such as the MCP2200 or MCP2221. The 128 KB Flash stores the bridge-application firmware (proprietary protocols, factory test firmware, or bootloader), while the 12 MIPS CPU can implement a 921.6 kbaud UART link with hardware flow control without loss-of-data. The low-power sleep modes keep idle current low when the bridge is disconnected. This is a common architecture for industrial gateways and for legacy RS-232 replacement modules. Companion parts include the MCP2221 USB-to-UART/I2C bridge IC and the MCP1700 LDO.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF27J13T-I/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18LF27J13-I/SS | PIC18F27J13-I/SS | PIC18F27J13T-I/SS | PIC18LF26K83-I/SS | PIC18LF26K22-I/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | SSOP-28 | SSOP-28 (same) | SSOP-28 (same) | SSOP-28 (same) | SSOP-28 (same) | SSOP-28 (same) |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 256 KB (2x) | 64 KB (0.5x) |
| RAM | 4 KB | 4 KB | 4 KB | 4 KB | 8 KB (2x) | 3.8 KB (~equal) |
| Max CPU Speed | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 48 MHz / 12 MIPS | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS | 64 MHz / 16 MIPS |
| Operating Voltage (VDD) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 5.5 V |
| Packaging Format | Tape & Reel | Tube | Tube | Tape & Reel | Tube | Tube |
| ADC Channels / Resolution | 10 ch / 12-bit | 10 ch / 12-bit | 10 ch / 12-bit | 10 ch / 12-bit | 11 ch / 12-bit | 17 ch / 10-bit |
| Low-Power Tech | nanoWatt XLP | nanoWatt XLP | nanoWatt XLP | nanoWatt XLP | nanoWatt XLP | nanoWatt XLP |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest-voltage part in 128 KB Flash PIC18 J-series family (vs PIC18F27J13-I/SS)
- Tape & Reel packaging format optimized for high-volume SMT assembly (vs PIC18LF27J13-I/SS)
- Highest MIPS-per-mA in the PIC18 J-series at 48 MHz (vs PIC18LF26K22-I/SS)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 48 MHz active current is ~14 mA; at 4 MHz it falls to ~1.5 mA. For battery operation, switch the CPU speed via OSCTUNE/PLL before entering Sleep. Decouple each VDD/VSS pair with 0.1 uF ceramic close to the pin (<2 mm trace). Add a 10 uF bulk capacitor on the main VDD rail. Follow Microchip TB1200 "nanoWatt XLP" application note for sleep-current minimization - typical deep-sleep current is below 100 nA with RTCC active.
Route the ICSP pins (RB6/PGC, RB7/PGD) with no series resistors or capacitors in line - they must reach the programming header directly. Place the crystal or oscillator traces within 12 mm of OSC1/OSC2, keep them short, and guard with a ground plane. For SSOP-28, provide a continuous ground pour beneath the part and stitch vias along the perimeter for thermal dissipation.
Do not exceed 3.6 V VDD on the /LF variant - the silicon will latch-up and may be damaged. The MCLR pin must have a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD for normal operation; if left floating, the part will not run. ADC channels AN0-AN4 share their pins with comparator inputs - configure ANSEL before reading. Avoid driving a high-current load (>25 mA) directly on an I/O pin; buffer with a MOSFET driver such as TC4420.
Estimated: SSOP-28 theta_JA is approximately 95 C/W on a 1 oz 2-layer board with 100 mm^2 copper pour. At 14 mA active and 3.3 V, dissipation is 46 mW, so junction rise above ambient is roughly 4.4 C - well within limits. For higher temperature environments (>50 C ambient), provide additional copper area or forced airflow to maintain margin.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Industrial temperature grade -40 C to +85 C. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive use consider PIC18F27J13T-I/SS or PIC18F46J50-I/PT with explicit automotive part numbers.
