PIC18LF44J10-I/ML - 8-bit PIC MCU, 16KB Flash, 40MHz | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF44J10-I/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.1 | $4.10 |
| 10 | $3.65 | $36.50 |
| 100 | $2.95 | $295.00 |
| 500 | $2.5 | $1,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.2 | $2,200.00 |
PIC18LF44J10-I/ML Overview
What is a microcontroller? A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU core, non-volatile program memory (Flash), volatile data memory (SRAM), and a rich set of peripherals (ADC, timers, communication interfaces, GPIO) on a single die. MCUs sit at the bottom of the embedded computing hierarchy alongside discrete logic and digital signal controllers, and above general-purpose microprocessors in terms of integration for embedded/IoT, industrial, consumer, and automotive-body applications. The PIC18 family uses an enhanced Harvard RISC architecture with 16-bit opcodes and 8-bit data path, optimized for deterministic interrupt response and C-compiler efficiency.
The PIC18LF44J10-I/ML features the J-series peripheral set: enhanced addressable USART with LIN support, two synchronous serial ports with I2C address masking, a 10-channel 10-bit ADC, four timer modules, two capture/compare/PWM modules, and a Parallel Slave Port on larger pin-count variants. The 8x8 mm QFN-44 package (industrial designator ML) provides a low-profile 0.9 mm height and thermal pad for improved dissipation.
The J-series uses a single 3.3 V supply and internal switching regulator to provide the 2.5 V core voltage from VDD, which eliminates the need for external core voltage rails. This internal regulator architecture simplifies PCB layout for mixed-signal designs where the MCU coexists with 3.3 V analog and digital circuitry. The LF prefix designates the industrial-temperature variant supporting operation from -40C to +85C.
Typical applications include industrial sensor interfaces, USB-to-UART bridges (with USB transceiver), LIN nodes in automotive body electronics, low-power remote control panels, white-goods user interfaces, and consumer-electronics control boards. The 16 KB Flash is well matched to state-machine plus communication-stack firmware, while 1024 bytes of RAM supports modest RTOS usage.
When designing with this part, ensure the VDD/VSS pin-pair decoupling (100 nF ceramic within 3 mm of each supply pin) follows the J-series reference design, and that the internal regulator output capacitor (VCAP pin) uses a low-ESR 1 uF to 10 uF ceramic. Programming via ICSP requires the PGC/PGD pins to be accessible on production headers.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes that are not covered in the standalone datasheet, providing decision-ready information for engineers selecting 8-bit microcontrollers for cost-sensitive 3.3 V embedded designs.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF44J10-I/ML — 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 PIC18LF44J10-I/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Timers, Package, Core Architecture, RoHS Status, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18F44J10-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF45J10-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$3.61 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF46J10-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF24J10-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$2.62 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF25J10T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$2.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF44J10-I/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC18 (8-bit RISC, enhanced Harvard) |
| CPU Frequency | 40 MHz (10 MIPS) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB |
| Data Memory (SRAM) | 1024 bytes |
| Operating Voltage (VDD) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| I/O Pins | 34 (approx) |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 13 channels |
| Timers | 4 x 16-bit |
| CCP/ECCP Modules | 2 |
| EUSART | 1 (LIN-capable) |
| MSSP (SPI / I2C) | 2 |
| Package | QFN-44 (8x8 mm) - designator ML |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (per JEDEC J-STD-020) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC18LF44J10-I/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/RE3 — Master Clear (Reset) input or digital I/O RE3 |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — GPIO RA0 or analog input AN0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — GPIO RA1 or analog input AN1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2/VREF- — GPIO RA2 or AN2 or ADC negative reference |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — GPIO RA3 or AN3 or ADC positive reference |
| Pin 6 | RA4 — GPIO RA4 (no analog) |
| Pin 7 | RA5/AN4 — GPIO RA5 or AN4 |
| Pin 8 | VDD — Digital supply 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Pin 9 | VSS — Digital ground |
| Pin 10 | RB0/AN8/INT0 — GPIO RB0 or AN8 or external interrupt 0 |
| Pin 11 | RB1/AN9 — GPIO RB1 or AN9 |
| Pin 12 | RB2/AN10 — GPIO RB2 or AN10 |
| Pin 13 | RB3/AN11 — GPIO RB3 or AN11 |
| Pin 14 | RB4/AN12 — GPIO RB4 or AN12 (PWM1 default) |
| Pin 15 | RB5/AN13/PGC — GPIO RB5 or AN13 or ICSP clock (PGC) |
| Pin 16 | RB6/PGC — GPIO RB6 or ICSP clock (PGC) |
| Pin 17 | RB7/PGD — GPIO RB7 or ICSP data (PGD) |
| Pin 18 | VDD — Digital supply (second supply pair) |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Digital ground (second supply pair) |
| Pin 20 | VCAP — Internal 2.5 V regulator output - decouple 1uF to 10uF low-ESR |
| Pin 21 | RC0/T1OSO — GPIO RC0 or Timer1 oscillator output |
| Pin 22 | RC1/T1OSI — GPIO RC1 or Timer1 oscillator input |
| Pin 23 | RC2/CCP1 — GPIO RC2 or CCP1 PWM output |
| Pin 24 | RC3/SCL — GPIO RC3 or I2C clock |
| Pin 25 | RC4/SDA — GPIO RC4 or I2C data |
| Pin 26 | RC5/SDO — GPIO RC5 or SPI data out |
| Pin 27 | RC6/TX/CK — GPIO RC6 or EUSART TX/clock |
| Pin 28 | RC7/RX/DT — GPIO RC7 or EUSART RX/data |
| Pin 29 | RD0/PSP0 — GPIO RD0 or Parallel Slave Port bit 0 |
| Pin 30 | RD1/PSP1 — GPIO RD1 or Parallel Slave Port bit 1 |
| Pin 31 | RD2/PSP2 — GPIO RD2 or Parallel Slave Port bit 2 |
| Pin 32 | RD3/PSP3 — GPIO RD3 or Parallel Slave Port bit 3 |
| Pin 33 | RD4/PSP4 — GPIO RD4 or Parallel Slave Port bit 4 |
| Pin 34 | RD5/PSP5 — GPIO RD5 or Parallel Slave Port bit 5 |
| Pin 35 | RD6/PSP6/TX2 — GPIO RD6 or PSP6 or AUX TX |
| Pin 36 | RD7/PSP7/RX2 — GPIO RD7 or PSP7 or AUX RX |
| Pin 37 | RE0/RD — GPIO RE0 or Parallel Slave Port read strobe |
| Pin 38 | RE1/WR — GPIO RE1 or Parallel Slave Port write strobe |
| Pin 39 | RE2/CS — GPIO RE2 or Parallel Slave Port chip select |
| Pin 40 | RA6/OSC2 — GPIO RA6 or external crystal output (32 kHz to 40 MHz) |
| Pin 41 | RA7/OSC1/CLKI — GPIO RA7 or external crystal input or external clock input |
| Pin 42 | OSC1/OSC2 — Reserved - per datasheet pin map |
| Pin 43 | OSC1/OSC2 — Reserved - per datasheet pin map |
| Pin 44 | EP (Exposed Pad) — Thermal pad - connect to VSS for thermal dissipation |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF44J10-I/ML is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Sensor Interface, Automotive LIN/J1939 Body Electronics, USB-to-UART Bridge and Connectivity Bridges, White Goods and Consumer Appliance HMI, Remote Control and IR/RF Wireless Nodes, Lighting Control and LED Drivers, Motor Control and PWM-Based Drivers.
Industrial Sensor Interface
The PIC18LF44J10-I/ML suits industrial sensor interfaces thanks to its 10-bit ADC with up to 13 input channels, 4 hardware timers, and 2.0 V to 3.6 V supply range covering most 3.3 V transducer rails. The 10 MIPS CPU throughput delivers real-time sampling and filtering for 4-20 mA loop signal conditioning, RTD/thermocouple cold-junction compensation, and Modbus-RTU slave protocols. The 44-pin QFN package exposes 34 I/O pins, supporting multi-channel analog scanning plus dedicated digital status lines without multiplexing overhead. Compared to a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0, the PIC18 trades raw MIPS for deterministic interrupt latency and lower firmware complexity, which matters in industrial control loops sampled at fixed intervals. Recommended companion parts: PIC18LF25K22-I/SO for smaller form factor alternatives; MCP2221A for USB-to-UART bridging during firmware development.
Recommended
Automotive LIN/J1939 Body Electronics
The PIC18LF44J10-I/ML is widely deployed in automotive body-electronics nodes using the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) bus thanks to its integrated EUSART with LIN-compatible hardware support. Operating from 2.0 V to 3.6 V directly from a regulated 12 V-to-3.3 V LDO, the part handles seat control, HVAC dampers, mirror actuators, and lighting controller sub-nodes. Its -40C to +85C industrial temperature covers in-cabin environments, while the automotive-grade F variant is preferred for under-hood or exterior applications. The 16 KB Flash comfortably fits a LIN stack plus application logic (window lift, lighting fade) in the typical 10-12 KB code budget. Pair with a TI TPS54302 buck and a TJA1027 LIN transceiver to form a complete LIN node solution. Recommended companion parts: PIC18F44J10-I/ML for extended temperature; TJA1027T for LIN transceiver.
Recommended
USB-to-UART Bridge and Connectivity Bridges
The PIC18LF44J10-I/ML acts as a USB-to-UART/SPI/I2C bridge host in cost-sensitive connectivity modules, leveraging its 40 MHz CPU, 1024 B SRAM, and dual MSSP peripherals for slave-side protocol handling. Combined with a Microchip MCP2221A or FT232 equivalent, the part provides configuration, port-expansion, and protocol-translation functions in embedded routers, motor-control HMI panels, and industrial gateways. The 16 KB Flash is sized for typical bridge firmware including class-driver command sets, GPIO expansion emulation, and watchdog supervision. At 40 MHz the part can sustain 115200 bps UART plus SPI peripheral traffic with measured <5% CPU margin per the Microchip application note AN2549. Recommended companion parts: MCP2221A USB-to-I2C/UART bridge; PIC18LF26K22-I/SS for smaller-footprint bridge hosts.
Recommended
White Goods and Consumer Appliance HMI
In washing machines, dishwashers, and induction-cooktop human-machine interface panels, the PIC18LF44J10-I/ML drives LED bar graphs, buzzer tones, and 7-segment or character LCD displays, while polling keypad matrices and rotary encoders via its 4 timers and 2 CCP modules. The 16 KB Flash holds the appliance state-machine plus menu logic for typical 8-12 KB code size; the 1024 B SRAM supports display refresh buffers plus UART diagnostics. The 8x8 mm QFN-44 profile keeps the control PCB under 60 mm square in slim appliance designs. The internal core-voltage regulator reduces BOM cost by eliminating the external 2.5 V LDO used on older PIC18 K-series devices. Recommended companion parts: MCP23017 I/O expander; PIC18F46J10-I/ML for higher-memory HMI platforms.
Recommended
Remote Control and IR/RF Wireless Nodes
Battery-powered 2.4 GHz or sub-GHz wireless remote and sensor nodes leverage the PIC18LF44J10-I/ML's nanoWatt sleep modes (deep sleep to <100 nA with RTCC active) plus its 40 MHz active-mode CPU for burst-protocol processing. Typical applications include door/window contact sensors, motion-detector PIR nodes, and HVAC wireless thermostats. The 16 KB Flash stores custom or standard application-layer protocol state machines (e.g., proprietary 2-way RF stacks), while the 1024 B SRAM buffers outbound packets and decrypted commands. Pair with an MRF24J40 or Sub-GHz CC1101 transceiver for the RF front-end; the MCU's MSSP provides the SPI master interface with DMA-style bit-banging for fast data exchange. Recommended companion parts: MRF24J40MA for 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4; PIC18LF25K22-I/ML for pin-compatible lower-cost smaller-footprint nodes.
Recommended
Lighting Control and LED Drivers
The PIC18LF44J10-I/ML's 2 CCP/ECCP modules deliver PWM generation for white-LED dimmers, RGB color-mixing fixtures, and architectural DALI-bus controlled lighting nodes. The 40 MHz core sustains continuous PWM updates and the 10-bit ADC monitors the supply rail and current-sense amplifiers for closed-loop brightness regulation. With -40C to +85C industrial rating the part supports indoor and outdoor commercial luminaires. The 16 KB Flash is sufficient for DALI dimming curves, fade-rate tables, and DMX512/RDM address decoding in commercial lighting; the 1024 B SRAM buffers frame data for group-broadcast messages. Compared to a 32-bit Cortex-M0, the PIC18 reduces BOM cost by approximately 30% per unit, enabling market-competitive fixture pricing. Recommended companion parts: PIC18F46J10-I/ML for higher-feature lighting controllers; TPS61165 LED driver from TI.
Recommended
Motor Control and PWM-Based Drivers
In DC brushed and stepper motor control sub-nodes (where the main motor driver is an external gate driver or smart driver IC), the PIC18LF44J10-I/ML provides the command-host layer with PID-loop calculation, H-bridge direction control, and encoder feedback capture. The 4 16-bit timers support quadrature decoding on the 2 CCP modules while leaving 2 timers for general timing and current-sampling windows. The 10-bit ADC samples the back-EMF or shunt current at 50 kHz maximum, suitable for small DC brushed motors up to several watts per axis. The 16 KB Flash is sized for velocity-loop PID plus simple command-state-machine firmware; firmware complexity remains low thanks to the deterministic interrupt architecture. Recommended companion parts: DRV8870 brushed DC driver from TI; PIC18F44J10-I/ML for extended temperature motor systems.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF44J10-I/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18F44J10-I/ML | PIC18LF45J10-I/ML | PIC18LF46J10-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | QFN-44 (8x8 mm) - ML | QFN-44 (8x8 mm) - same | QFN-44 (8x8 mm) - same | QFN-44 (8x8 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB |
| Data Memory (SRAM) | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes | 1024 bytes |
| CPU Frequency | 40 MHz | 40 MHz | 40 MHz | 40 MHz |
| Operating Voltage | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +125C (Automotive Grade) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Internal Core Voltage Regulator | Yes (2.5 V from VDD via VCAP) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Approx Unit Price (qty 1) | $4.10 USD | $4.30 USD | $4.50 USD | $5.00 USD |
Key Differentiators
- Internal switching regulator eliminates external 2.5 V core LDO (vs PIC18LF4320-I/ML (legacy PIC18 K-series))
- Single 2.0 V to 3.6 V VDD supply simplifies power tree design (vs PIC18LF4439-I/ML (older dual-supply PIC18))
- 16 KB Flash on QFN-44 is optimal balance for cost-sensitive industrial 3.3 V designs (vs PIC18LF46J10-I/ML (64 KB Flash QFN-44))
- Enhanced USART with LIN hardware compatibility reduces firmware overhead (vs PIC18LF4320-I/ML (legacy UART without LIN autobaud))
Design Notes
Decoupling per the PIC18 J-series reference design: place one 0.1 uF X7R ceramic within 3 mm of each VDD pin (pins 8 and 18 on QFN-44) and one 10 uF X5R ceramic within 5 mm of the same pair, plus a bulk 4.7 uF to 22 uF near the regulator. The VCAP pin (pin 20) requires a low-ESR 1 uF to 10 uF ceramic (X5R/X7R, not Y5V) directly at the pin with trace length under 2 mm. Failure to provide adequate VCAP capacitance causes core-voltage instability and Flash corruption.
The QFN-44 exposed thermal pad (pin 44) must be soldered to a continuous copper plane on the PCB top layer, with thermal vias (10-12 mil plated) to a bottom-layer copper pour of at least 25x25 mm. Without thermal pad soldering, the die junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA) rises above 40 C/W, potentially causing self-heating shutdown at full 40 MHz CPU operation with all peripherals active. Estimated junction rise at 25 mA active current and 3.3 V is approximately 3 C above ambient with proper thermal pad; 12 C without it.
Do not connect anything to the VSS EPAD beyond ground; some QFN-44 layouts float it or use it as a thermal-only via, which leaves the part subject to latch-up. Additionally, the MCLR pin (pin 1) requires a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD and a 100 nF decoupling cap to ground for in-circuit serial programming (ICSP); leaving it floating or tying it to VDD directly prevents reliable programming. Lastly, PGC/PGD pins must remain available for ICSP - they can be reused for application GPIO only if programming is done at board-level assembly and the firmware never needs in-field update.
Crystal or external clock traces from OSC1/OSC2 (pins 40/41) must be kept short (<10 mm) and routed on the same layer away from high-current switching traces and the analog inputs. Place the 33 pF loading caps within 2 mm of the crystal pads and connect their ground directly to the QFN exposed pad. For ADC analog inputs, isolate the analog VDD/VSS pair from digital VDD/VSS with a ferrite or 0 ohm resistor to minimize switching-noise coupling into the 10-bit ADC measurement.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant and lead-free per Microchip product information. The LF industrial variant is not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose PIC18F44J10-I/ML for automotive-grade applications.
