PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT - 48MHz USB MCU 16KB Flash | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.62 | $4.62 |
| 10 | $4.15 | $41.50 |
| 100 | $3.69 | $369.00 |
| 500 | $3.32 | $1,660.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.95 | $2,950.00 |
PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT Overview
What is an 8-bit PIC microcontroller? An 8-bit MCU is a single-chip computer that processes data 8 bits at a time and integrates CPU, Flash, RAM, peripherals (USB, ADC, timers), and I/O on a single die. Within the MCU hierarchy, the PIC18 family sits at the upper end of Microchip's 8-bit portfolio - above PIC10/12/16 in code size and peripheral integration. The PIC18LF44J50 is part of the 'J' family, which adds nanoWatt XLP power management, USB OTG, and a wider peripheral set. For embedded engineers, this category is ideal when deterministic real-time response and low BOM cost matter more than raw compute throughput.
Key features include a 10-bit ADC with up to 13 channels, multiple communication peripherals (USB 2.0 Full Speed, I2C, SPI, EUSART), 5 CCP/ECCP modules, two analog comparators, and CTMU support for capacitive sensing. The device supports 34 digital I/O lines and offers three low-power sleep modes typical of the nanoWatt XLP family. On-chip peripherals are mapped through peripheral pin select (PPS), providing design flexibility for pin allocation.
Architecturally, the PIC18LF44J50 combines a Harvard RISC core (with hardware multiply) running at 12 MIPS, dedicated USB SIE hardware, and a wide voltage operating range. The 'LF' suffix indicates Flash + low-voltage operation, while the J-series devices add a charge pump for USB operation from lower supply voltages. The integrated USB SIE eliminates the need for an external PHY in many designs, saving BOM cost and PCB area.
Typical applications include USB peripherals (HID, CDC, custom class), battery-powered data loggers, sensor interface boards with USB diagnostics, consumer electronics, and small industrial control nodes. The combination of USB and nanoWatt XLP sleep currents makes the part especially suited to USB-powered or intermittently active devices. When designing, select appropriate ferrite beads or chokes on VUSB to suppress bus noise, follow USB-IF pull-resistor guidance on D+/D-, and follow Microchip application notes for USB descriptor stack tuning.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT — 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 PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, RoHS Status, Communication Peripherals, Core, Instruction Set.
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PIC18LF44J50-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.66 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF44J10T-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF4450T-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF4550T-I/PT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | PIC18 J (PIC18F46J50 family) |
| Core Processor | PIC (8-bit Harvard RISC) |
| Core Size | 8-bit |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) |
| Program Memory Size | 16 KB Flash (8K x 16) |
| RAM Size | 4 KB (3.8K x 8) |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 34 |
| Package | 44-pin TQFP (10x10 mm) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +85C (Industrial, 'I') |
| USB Interface | USB 2.0 Full Speed (12 Mbps), on-chip SIE |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 13 channels |
| Communication Peripherals | USB, I2C, SPI, EUSART |
| Capture/Compare/PWM | 5 CCP / ECCP modules |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (LEAD FREE per datasheet) |
PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RC0 — Digital I/O / PWM |
| Pin 2 | RC1 — Digital I/O / PWM |
| Pin 3 | RC2 — Digital I/O / PWM |
| Pin 4 | RC3 — Digital I/O / PWM |
| Pin 5 | RC4 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 6 | RC5 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 7 | RC6 — Digital I/O / TX |
| Pin 8 | RC7 — Digital I/O / RX |
| Pin 9 | RE3 — Digital I/O / MCLR |
| Pin 10 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 11 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 12 | RA0 — Digital I/O / AN0 |
| Pin 13 | RA1 — Digital I/O / AN1 |
| Pin 14 | RA2 — Digital I/O / AN2 |
| Pin 15 | RA3 — Digital I/O / AN3 |
| Pin 16 | RA4 — Digital I/O / AN4 |
| Pin 17 | RA5 — Digital I/O / AN5 |
| Pin 18 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 20 | RA6 — Digital I/O / OSC2 |
| Pin 21 | RA7 — Digital I/O / OSC1 |
| Pin 22 | RB0 — Digital I/O / AN12 |
| Pin 23 | RB1 — Digital I/O / AN10 |
| Pin 24 | RB2 — Digital I/O / AN8 |
| Pin 25 | RB3 — Digital I/O / AN9 |
| Pin 26 | RB4 — Digital I/O / AN11 |
| Pin 27 | RB5 — Digital I/O / PGED3 |
| Pin 28 | RB6 — Digital I/O / PGEC3 |
| Pin 29 | RB7 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 30 | VDDCORE — Core voltage decoupling |
| Pin 31 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 32 | RD0 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 33 | RD1 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 34 | RD2 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 35 | RD3 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 36 | RD4 — Digital I/O |
| Pin 37 | RD5 — Digital I/O / CCP |
| Pin 38 | RD6 — Digital I/O / CCP |
| Pin 39 | RD7 — Digital I/O / CCP |
| Pin 40 | D+ — USB data plus |
| Pin 41 | D- — USB data minus |
| Pin 42 | VBUS — USB VBUS sense |
| Pin 43 | VUSB — USB internal regulator |
| Pin 44 | RE0 — Digital I/O |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT is suitable for 6 applications: USB HID Peripheral Devices, USB CDC Virtual COM Port Devices, Battery-Powered Sensor Data Loggers, USB Charging and Power Bank Controllers, Industrial Control Nodes with USB Diagnostics, Consumer Electronics with USB Connectivity.
USB HID Peripheral Devices
The PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT's integrated USB 2.0 Full Speed SIE and 16 KB Flash make it a strong fit for USB HID peripherals such as keyboards, mice, custom input devices, and control surfaces. The 12 MIPS CPU performance easily handles HID report processing at the 1 kHz USB polling rate, while 4 KB RAM provides ample buffer space for HID report descriptors and state. The 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range supports bus-powered designs without external regulators. Engineers typically pair this MCU with the Microchip USB stack (MCHPFSUSB), which provides ready-made HID class drivers and a small memory footprint compatible with the 16 KB Flash budget.
Recommended
USB CDC Virtual COM Port Devices
For USB-to-UART bridge designs, the PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT integrates the USB SIE plus an EUSART, enabling CDC class implementations that appear as a virtual COM port on the host. The 48 MHz CPU and 4 KB RAM comfortably run the Microchip CDC stack with custom command handlers. Bus-powered operation from a single 3.3 V or 5 V rail is supported through the wide 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range. Typical use cases include industrial configuration interfaces, debug consoles, and firmware update bridges for legacy RS-232 equipment.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Sensor Data Loggers
The PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT's nanoWatt XLP low-power sleep modes and 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range make it well-suited to battery-powered sensor data loggers. Sleep currents in the microamp range enable multi-year battery life when the MCU wakes only periodically to read sensors and store data. The 10-bit ADC with up to 13 channels can directly digitize temperature, voltage, and current sensors without external ADCs. The 4 KB RAM provides a reasonable circular buffer for samples before flushing to external EEPROM or SD card storage.
Recommended
USB Charging and Power Bank Controllers
USB charging and power bank controllers benefit from the PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT's integrated USB SIE, 10-bit ADC for voltage and current monitoring, and PWM modules for control loop implementation. The MCU can monitor input/output voltage and current via ADC channels, drive status LEDs via PWM, and communicate status to a host over USB. The wide 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range accommodates direct connection to single-cell Li-ion or multi-cell alkaline battery stacks without additional regulation.
Recommended
Industrial Control Nodes with USB Diagnostics
Industrial control nodes with USB diagnostics benefit from the PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT combination of USB connectivity and industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C). The MCU handles primary control functions via its PWM, ADC, and digital I/O while exposing a USB CDC or HID interface for field diagnostics, firmware updates, and parameter tuning. The 34 I/O pins accommodate multiple sensor inputs, actuator outputs, and communication interfaces. The wide supply range simplifies integration into 24 V industrial environments with appropriate front-end regulation.
Recommended
Consumer Electronics with USB Connectivity
Consumer electronics such as toy controllers, learning devices, gaming peripherals, and small appliances gain USB connectivity through the PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT at minimal BOM cost. The integrated USB SIE eliminates external PHY chips, while the 16 KB Flash supports feature-rich application code including USB stacks, custom protocols, and user interfaces. The wide 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range simplifies power design from batteries or USB bus power. Peripherals such as PWMs drive motors, LEDs, or audio outputs without additional driver ICs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18LF44J50-I/PT | PIC18LF44J10T-I/PT | PIC18LF4450T-I/PT | PIC18LF4550T-I/PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | TQFP-44 (10x10 mm) | TQFP-44 - same | TQFP-44 - same | TQFP-44 - same | TQFP-44 - same |
| Core | 8-bit PIC18 J-series | 8-bit PIC18 J-series | 8-bit PIC18 J-series | 8-bit PIC18 K-series | 8-bit PIC18 (PIC18F4550) |
| Clock Speed | 48 MHz (12 MIPS) | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 48 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 16 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB (+100%) | 32 KB (+100%) | 32 KB (+100%) |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 1.8 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| USB Interface | USB 2.0 Full Speed integrated SIE | USB 2.0 FS SIE - same | USB 2.0 FS SIE - same | USB 2.0 FS SIE - same | USB 2.0 FS SIE - same |
Key Differentiators
- 5.5 V maximum supply voltage (LF variant) (vs PIC18F44J50T-I/PT (F variant))
- Integrated USB 2.0 Full Speed SIE (vs PIC18LF25K50 (similar USB MCU))
- 44-pin TQFP package with 34 I/O pins (vs PIC18F4550 (40-pin DIP variant))
Design Notes
The PIC18LF44J50T-I/PT requires careful decoupling on both VDD and VDDCORE pins (pins 11, 18, and 30). Use a 100 nF ceramic capacitor on each VDD pin plus a bulk 10 uF tantalum or ceramic capacitor at the supply entry point. The VDDCORE pin (pin 30) requires its own 100 nF decoupling cap placed within 2 mm of the pin. The USB VUSB pin (pin 43) must have a 1 uF to 4.7 uF low-ESR capacitor per the Microchip datasheet. Bulk capacitance is essential because USB Full Speed signaling draws pulses of 100 mA from the bus during transmit.
Route USB D+ and D- traces as a 90 ohm differential pair with matched length (within 2 mm) and continuous reference plane on the layer below. Place the 27 ohm series termination resistors on D+ and D- close to the MCU pins (within 5 mm). Keep USB traces away from clock sources, switching regulators, and high-current paths to minimize common-mode noise. The Microchip datasheet recommends ferrite beads on VBUS to suppress bus noise and protect against ESD events.
Do not omit the 10 kohm pull-up resistor on D+ for full-speed USB device enumeration; without it, the host will not detect the device. Do not confuse the LF (2.0 V to 5.5 V) variant with the F (2.0 V to 3.6 V) variant when substituting - they share a power budget and pinout but have different maximum operating voltages. Ensure the VBUS sense pin is connected to USB VBUS through a voltage divider or directly, per the USB-IF compliance guidelines. Finally, configure the unused I/O pins as outputs low to minimize sleep current draw, per the nanoWatt XLP application note.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page and packaging code 'LEAD FREE'. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C). Not AEC-Q100 qualified for automotive applications - this is a consumer/industrial grade part.