PIC18LF4523-I/ML - 8-bit 40MHz 32KB FLASH MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC18LF4523-I/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.42 | $7.42 |
| 10 | $6.78 | $67.80 |
| 100 | $6.04 | $604.00 |
| 500 | $5.21 | $2,605.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.58 | $4,580.00 |
| 2,500 | $4.12 | $10,300.00 |
PIC18LF4523-I/ML Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, non-volatile program memory (FLASH/ROM), working RAM, peripherals (timers, ADC, communication ports, PWM, comparators) and interrupt logic on one silicon die. PIC microcontrollers use a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture with a 16-bit instruction word and 8-bit data path, executing most instructions in one instruction cycle (4 oscillator clocks). The PIC18 family sits between PIC16 mid-range and PIC24 16-bit dsPIC families in Microchip's portfolio, balancing code density, peripheral richness and 5 V analog performance. The PIC18LF4523 belongs to the PIC18F4523 sub-family of general-purpose devices with full-speed USB 2.0 (Full-Speed, 12 Mbps), making it a true "system-on-a-chip" for embedded control.
Key differentiating features include 36 digital I/O pins across five ports (RA, RB, RC, RD, RE), a 13-channel 12-bit ADC, two analog comparators, two CCP modules plus one ECCP for enhanced PWM, two UART/USART channels, one SPI and one I2C (MSSP) peripheral, a 16-bit timer/counter and three 8-bit timers, plus an on-chip full-speed USB 2.0 device/host/OTG transceiver. The device also provides 10 MIPS sustained throughput, hardware multiplier, two 8-bit hardware multipliers and a programmable brown-out reset (BOR) and low-voltage detect (LVD).
The PIC18LF4523 uses an enhanced Harvard architecture with separate program and data buses, a hardware 8x8 single-cycle multiplier, and Microchip's nanoWatt Technology dynamic power management. Self-programmability of the FLASH via ICSP (In-Circuit Serial Programming) and runtime by the user firmware is supported, enabling bootloader-based field upgrades. The USB SIE is fully on-chip, eliminating an external PHY and reducing BOM cost for HID, CDC, vendor-class and mouse/keyboard applications.
Typical applications include USB peripherals (HID mice, keyboards, custom HID controllers, USB-to-serial bridges), industrial control panels (sensor interfaces, motor drive logic, Modbus gateways), home appliances (washing machines, microwave ovens, induction cookers, HVAC controllers), automotive interior subsystems (instrument clusters, climate control, lighting) and low-power data loggers with USB connectivity. The wide 2.0 V to 5.5 V range also lets it run directly from a single Li-ion cell or from a 3.3 V regulated rail.
When designing with this device, route the exposed thermal pad (EP) of the QFN-44 to a continuous ground plane with multiple thermal vias, because the EP is the primary heat-dissipation path. Keep the USB D+/D- traces length-matched within 150 mil and keep them away from switching nodes such as PWM outputs to preserve USB signal integrity. Decouple VDD/VSS with a 100 nF X7R placed within 3 mm of each power pin, and place the 4.7 uF bulk capacitor adjacent to the QFN package.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing (DigiKey, Mouser, Octopart), pin-compatible 44-QFN drop-in alternatives, and practical USB layout and thermal notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet summary.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC18LF4523-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 PIC18LF4523-I/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Timers, ADC, Core, MSL Level.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC18LF4523-I/PT
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$5 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF4523T-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF4520-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.92 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF2523-I/ML
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$3.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF4523-I/P
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.32 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC18LF4523-I/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Family | PIC18F |
| Core | PIC 8-bit RISC |
| Core Width | 8-bit |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 40 MHz |
| Instruction Throughput | 10 MIPS |
| Program Memory (FLASH) | 32 KB (16K x 16) |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes |
| Data SRAM | 1536 bytes |
| Operating Voltage (Vdd) | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 36 |
| ADC | 13-channel, 12-bit |
| USB | USB 2.0 Full-Speed (12 Mbps) Device/Host/OTG on-chip SIE |
| Timers | 1 x 16-bit, 3 x 8-bit |
| CCP / ECCP | 2 CCP, 1 ECCP |
| Comparators | 2 analog comparators |
| Communication | 2x UART, 1x SPI, 1x I2C (MSSP) |
| Package | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free / Halogen-Free | Lead-Free / Halogen-Free (per Microchip) |
PIC18LF4523-I/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/VPP/RE3 — Master Clear (reset) input / programming voltage / digital I/O RE3 |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — PORTA bit 0 / analog input AN0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — PORTA bit 1 / analog input AN1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2/VREF- — PORTA bit 2 / analog input AN2 / ADC VREF- |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — PORTA bit 3 / analog input AN3 / ADC VREF+ |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI/C1OUT — PORTA bit 4 / Timer0 clock input / comparator 1 output |
| Pin 7 | RA5/AN4/SS/C2OUT — PORTA bit 5 / analog input AN4 / SPI slave select / comparator 2 output |
| Pin 8 | RE0/RD/AN5 — PORTE bit 0 / RD control / analog input AN5 |
| Pin 9 | RE1/WR/AN6 — PORTE bit 1 / WR control / analog input AN6 |
| Pin 10 | RE2/CS/AN7 — PORTE bit 2 / chip select / analog input AN7 |
| Pin 11 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (2.0 V to 5.5 V) |
| Pin 12 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 13 | OSC1/CLKIN — Oscillator crystal input / external clock input |
| Pin 14 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Oscillator crystal output / clock output |
| Pin 15 | RC0/T1OSO/T13CKI — PORTC bit 0 / Timer1 oscillator output / Timer1/Timer3 clock input |
| Pin 16 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — PORTC bit 1 / Timer1 oscillator input / CCP2 I/O |
| Pin 17 | RC2/CCP1 — PORTC bit 2 / Enhanced CCP1 I/O |
| Pin 18 | RC3/SCK/SCL — PORTC bit 3 / SPI clock / I2C clock |
| Pin 19 | RD0/PSP0 — PORTD bit 0 / Parallel Slave Port data bit 0 |
| Pin 20 | RD1/PSP1 — PORTD bit 1 / Parallel Slave Port data bit 1 |
| Pin 21 | RD2/PSP2 — PORTD bit 2 / Parallel Slave Port data bit 2 |
| Pin 22 | RD3/PSP3 — PORTD bit 3 / Parallel Slave Port data bit 3 |
| Pin 23 | RC4/SDI/SDA — PORTC bit 4 / SPI data in / I2C data |
| Pin 24 | RC5/SDO — PORTC bit 5 / SPI data out |
| Pin 25 | RC6/TX/CK — PORTC bit 6 / UART transmit / USB clock |
| Pin 26 | RC7/RX/DT — PORTC bit 7 / UART receive / USB data |
| Pin 27 | RD4/PSP4 — PORTD bit 4 / Parallel Slave Port data bit 4 |
| Pin 28 | RD5/PSP5 — PORTD bit 5 / Parallel Slave Port data bit 5 |
| Pin 29 | RD6/PSP6 — PORTD bit 6 / Parallel Slave Port data bit 6 |
| Pin 30 | RD7/PSP7 — PORTD bit 7 / Parallel Slave Port data bit 7 |
| Pin 31 | VSS — Ground reference (second VSS pin) |
| Pin 32 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (second VDD pin) |
| Pin 33 | RB0/INT0/FLT0 — PORTB bit 0 / external interrupt 0 / ECCP1 fault input |
| Pin 34 | RB1/INT1 — PORTB bit 1 / external interrupt 1 |
| Pin 35 | RB2/INT2 — PORTB bit 2 / external interrupt 2 |
| Pin 36 | RB3/INT3/CCP2 — PORTB bit 3 / external interrupt 3 / CCP2 I/O |
| Pin 37 | RB4/KBI0 — PORTB bit 4 / interrupt-on-change bit 0 |
| Pin 38 | RB5/KBI1 — PORTB bit 5 / interrupt-on-change bit 1 |
| Pin 39 | RB6/KBI2/PGC — PORTB bit 6 / interrupt-on-change bit 2 / ICSP clock |
| Pin 40 | RB7/KBI3/PGD — PORTB bit 7 / interrupt-on-change bit 3 / ICSP data |
| Pin 41 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 42 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 43 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 44 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 45 | EP — Exposed thermal pad - must be soldered to ground plane for thermal dissipation and electrical ground |
Typical Applications
PIC18LF4523-I/ML is suitable for 6 applications: USB HID Peripherals, Industrial Control Panels, Home Appliances and White Goods, Automotive Interior Subsystems, Battery-Powered Data Loggers with USB, USB-to-Serial Bridge / CDC Dongle.
USB HID Peripherals
The PIC18LF4523-I/ML is a strong match for USB Human Interface Devices because its on-chip USB 2.0 Full-Speed SIE eliminates an external PHY and 3.3 V regulator, lowering BOM cost and PCB area in USB mice, keyboards, gamepads and custom HID controllers. With 32 KB FLASH, 1536 bytes SRAM and 36 digital I/O, the part can host the Microchip USB stack plus a HID report parser and a debounce/keyscan matrix in firmware without external memory. USB D+/D- trace matching within 150 mil and a 15 kV ESD array on the connector preserve USB-IF compliance.
Recommended
Industrial Control Panels
The PIC18LF4523-I/ML fits industrial control panels thanks to its 13-channel 12-bit ADC for multi-sensor acquisition (4-20 mA, 0-10 V, RTD, thermocouple via op-amp front-end), two UART ports for Modbus RTU master/slave, plus a CCP/ECCP module for PWM-driven actuator control. The 2.0 V to 5.5 V wide-voltage range tolerates 24 V industrial rails when paired with a small switching pre-regulator. On-chip hardware multiplier and 10 MIPS throughput enable 32-bit arithmetic for filter math, PID loops and RMS calculations in motor-drive and process-control applications.
Recommended
Home Appliances and White Goods
The PIC18LF4523-I/ML is well suited to washing machines, induction cookers, microwave ovens, HVAC and dishwasher controllers because of its 36 I/O pins (driving relays, triac interfaces, keypads, 7-segment LEDs and LCD modules) plus two analog comparators for zero-cross detection. The 32 KB FLASH comfortably fits state-machine firmware for wash cycles, induction PWM profiles and appliance safety interlocks; 256-byte EEPROM stores user settings (temperature, spin speed) across power cycles. The industrial -40 C to +85 C temperature grade handles appliance thermal stress near motors and heaters.
Recommended
Automotive Interior Subsystems
The PIC18LF4523-I/ML suits automotive interior modules (instrument cluster back-end, HVAC controls, lighting, ambient LED drivers) thanks to its wide 2.0 V to 5.5 V operating range (allowing direct Li-ion or 12 V post-regulator operation), 36 I/O for segmented LCD/LED matrix and LIN/SCI-like UART for body-network gateways. The industrial temperature grade handles -40 C to +85 C cabin environments. Note that the PIC18LF4523-I/ML is NOT AEC-Q100 qualified; for AEC-Q100 automotive designs choose the PIC18F4523-I/PT-EQ automotive-grade variant or migrate to PIC18F46K22.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Data Loggers with USB
The PIC18LF4523-I/ML is a good fit for USB-tethered portable data loggers and sensor pods thanks to its 2.0 V to 5.5 V range, which allows direct single-cell Li-ion (3.0-4.2 V) or 2xAA operation, and the on-chip USB SIE that lets the same port serve as both power source and data channel. nanoWatt Technology provides sleep currents under 1 uA with RTC and WDT running; the 13-channel 12-bit ADC handles temperature, humidity and pressure sensor arrays; 32 KB FLASH stores roughly 16 K samples of 2-byte data with timestamps before USB offload.
Recommended
USB-to-Serial Bridge / CDC Dongle
The PIC18LF4523-I/ML is well matched to USB-to-UART/SPI/I2C bridge dongles because the on-chip USB SIE handles CDC class enumeration, while the two UARTs and one MSSP (SPI+I2C) expose two serial ports to the host PC. With 32 KB FLASH, the part easily fits Microchip's CDC + vendor-class composite stack plus a configuration EEPROM emulation in the 256-byte data EEPROM. The 44-QFN (8x8 mm) footprint keeps the dongle PCB under 20x30 mm, ideal for low-cost USB adapters.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC18LF4523-I/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC18LF4523T-I/ML | PIC18LF4520-I/ML | PIC18LF2523-I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - ML | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - ML (same) | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - ML (same) | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - ML (same) |
| Program FLASH | 32 KB (16K x 16) | 32 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB (-50%) |
| Data SRAM | 1536 bytes | 1536 bytes | 1536 bytes | 1536 bytes |
| Data EEPROM | 256 bytes | 256 bytes | 0 bytes | 256 bytes |
| USB 2.0 Full-Speed SIE | Yes (on-chip) | Yes | No | Yes |
| CPU Frequency | 40 MHz (10 MIPS) | 40 MHz (10 MIPS) | 40 MHz (10 MIPS) | 40 MHz (10 MIPS) |
| I/O Pins | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| Operating Voltage | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
Key Differentiators
- On-chip USB 2.0 Full-Speed SIE eliminates external PHY (vs PIC18LF4520-I/ML)
- Highest-density same-footprint FLASH in PIC18F452x family (vs PIC18LF2523-I/ML)
- Industrial temperature grade (-40 C to +85 C) for harsh environments (vs PIC18F4523-I/PT (standard temp grade))
Design Notes
The 44-QFN (ML) package has an exposed thermal pad (EP, pin 45) that MUST be soldered to a continuous ground plane with at least 4 thermal vias (9-mil hole, 12-mil annular ring) for proper heat dissipation and electrical grounding. Skip-via the EP plane to maintain ground continuity. Place a 100 nF X7R 0402 decoupling capacitor within 3 mm of each VDD pin (pin 11 and pin 32), and a single 4.7 uF X5R bulk capacitor adjacent to the package. Microchip recommends keeping the EP plane at least 50% coverage of the package footprint for thermal performance up to 1 W dissipation.
Route USB D+ (RC4) and D- (RC5) as a length-matched differential pair within 150 mil tolerance, with 90-ohm differential impedance and a continuous ground reference plane beneath. Add a 27-ohm series resistor on each line near the MCU side, and place the USB connector ESD protection array (such as USBLC6-2SC6) within 3 mm of the connector body. Keep D+/D- traces away from PWM switching nodes such as ECCP1 (RC2) and Timer1 oscillator pins (RC0/RC1) to preserve USB signal integrity and pass USB-IF compliance testing.
When powering the PIC18LF4523-I/ML from a noisy 5 V rail (such as a USB VBUS that may carry switching noise), add a ferrite bead (600 ohm at 100 MHz, 0402 size) plus a 10 uF tantalum bulk capacitor between VBUS and the VDD pins. Enable the BOR (Brown-Out Reset) with a threshold 0.2 V below the minimum operating VDD (e.g. 2.0 V) to ensure clean start-up and prevent FLASH corruption during brown-out events. nanoWatt Technology can drop quiescent current under 1 uA in sleep mode with RTCC and WDT running, per the Microchip datasheet power-management section.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Microchip product page (as of 2026-09-28). This part is NOT AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive designs migrate to PIC18F46K22-I/PT or contact Microchip for an AEC-Q100 grade. Lead-free and halogen-free per Microchip material declaration.