PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL - 70 MIPS 16-bit MCU, 256KB Flash, Motor Control
MPN: PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8.92 | $8.92 |
| 10 | $8.03 | $80.30 |
| 100 | $7.14 | $714.00 |
| 500 | $6.43 | $3,215.00 |
| 1,000 | $5.85 | $5,850.00 |
PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL Overview
A 16-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer optimized for embedded real-time control. It belongs to the microcontroller family, which sits within the broader class of microprocessors and embedded computing devices. Compared with 8-bit MCUs, 16-bit cores offer higher instruction throughput, larger linear address spaces, and DSP-class arithmetic that are essential for closed-loop motor control, audio processing, and power conversion. The PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL is part of the PIC24EP "Motor Control" sub-family, which adds dedicated peripherals for field-oriented control (FOC) and high-frequency PWM generation beyond general-purpose GPIO control.
Key features include a 70 MIPS core at 60 MHz system clock, dedicated Motor Control PWM (MCPWM) with up to 14 PWM channels, a 12-bit ADC with up to 9 analog channels at 1.1 Msps, on-chip operational amplifiers for current sensing, a Quadrature Encoder Interface (QEI), and communication peripherals including I2C, SPI, UART/USART, IrDA, and LINbus. An integrated Peripheral Trigger Generator (PTG) and Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) provide deterministic hardware sequencing for advanced motor control loops and capacitive touch sensing.
The device supports 3.0V to 3.6V single-supply operation and an industrial -40C to +85C temperature range, with on-chip voltage regulation and brown-out reset. The integrated op-amps, comparators, and high-resolution PWM allow direct interfacing to FOC three-phase inverter stages without external analog front-end circuitry, reducing PCB footprint and BOM cost in BLDC, PMSM, and ACIM drive designs.
Typical applications include sensorless and sensored BLDC/PMSM motor drives, industrial servo controllers, HVAC fan and pump controllers, robotic actuators, and field-oriented control inverters. The wide peripheral set also suits general-purpose 16-bit embedded platforms for industrial automation, lighting control, and power-conversion applications.
When designing with the PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL, place the 44-VTLA exposed thermal pad with a continuous copper pour on the top layer to meet thermal and electrical return requirements, and follow the Microchip datasheet layout guideline for analog VDD/VSS separation. Use the MPLAB XC16 compiler and MPLAB X IDE for code development, and the MPLAB ICD 3 or MPLAB PICkit 4 for in-circuit debug.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-package alternatives, and practical design notes not always found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL — 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 PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Package, Operating Temperature, Program Memory (Flash), Communication.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC24EP256MC204T-I/MV
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24EP256MC204-I/TL
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC24EP256GP204T-I/TL
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC24E (16-bit Harvard, modified) |
| Core Performance | 70 MIPS |
| System Clock Speed | 60 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 256 KB (85.5K x 24) |
| Data Memory (SRAM) | 32 KB |
| ADC | 10-bit/12-bit, up to 9 channels |
| Motor Control PWM (MCPWM) | Yes, dedicated peripheral |
| Quadrature Encoder Interface (QEI) | Yes |
| On-chip Operational Amplifiers | Yes |
| Supply Voltage | 3.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 C to +85 C (Industrial) |
| Package | 44-VTLA (6x6 mm) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Communication Peripherals | I2C, IrDA, LINbus, SPI, UART/USART |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RP15/RB15 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 2 | RP14/RB14 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 3 | RP13/RB13 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 4 | RP12/RB12 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 5 | AVDD — Analog supply voltage |
| Pin 6 | AVSS — Analog ground |
| Pin 7 | AN0/RA0 — Analog input / general purpose I/O |
| Pin 8 | AN1/RA1 — Analog input / general purpose I/O |
| Pin 9 | AN2/RA2 — Analog input / general purpose I/O |
| Pin 10 | AN3/RA3 — Analog input / general purpose I/O |
| Pin 11 | AN4/RA4 — Analog input / general purpose I/O |
| Pin 12 | AN5/RA5 — Analog input / general purpose I/O |
| Pin 13 | VREF+/VREF- — ADC voltage reference pins |
| Pin 14 | VDD — Digital supply voltage |
| Pin 15 | VSS — Digital ground |
| Pin 16 | OSC1/CLKI — Crystal oscillator input |
| Pin 17 | OSC2/CLKO — Crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 18 | PGED1 — ICSP programming data |
| Pin 19 | PGEC1 — ICSP programming clock |
| Pin 20 | PWM1H — Motor Control PWM output high |
| Pin 21 | PWM1L — Motor Control PWM output low |
| Pin 22 | PWM2H — Motor Control PWM output high |
| Pin 23 | PWM2L — Motor Control PWM output low |
| Pin 24 | PWM3H — Motor Control PWM output high |
| Pin 25 | PWM3L — Motor Control PWM output low |
| Pin 26 | QEA/RA8 — Quadrature encoder input A / GPIO |
| Pin 27 | QEB/RA9 — Quadrature encoder input B / GPIO |
| Pin 28 | INDX/RA10 — Quadrature index input / GPIO |
| Pin 29 | SCL1/RG2 — I2C clock / GPIO |
| Pin 30 | SDA1/RG3 — I2C data / GPIO |
| Pin 31 | U1TX/RF0 — UART transmit / GPIO |
| Pin 32 | U1RX/RF1 — UART receive / GPIO |
| Pin 33 | SCK1/RF6 — SPI clock / GPIO |
| Pin 34 | SDI1/RF7 — SPI data in / GPIO |
| Pin 35 | SDO1/RF8 — SPI data out / GPIO |
| Pin 36 | RP0/RB0 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 37 | RP1/RB1 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 38 | RP2/RB2 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 39 | RP3/RB3 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 40 | RP4/RB4 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 41 | RP5/RB5 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 42 | RP6/RB6 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 43 | RP7/RB7 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
| Pin 44 | RP8/RB8 — Remappable I/O / general purpose |
Typical Applications
PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL is suitable for 6 applications: Sensorless BLDC / PMSM Motor Drive, Sensored Servo / Robotic Actuator, HVAC Fan / Pump Variable-Frequency Drive, Power Conversion / Solar Inverter Control, Industrial Lighting / LED Driver Control, Industrial Automation / PLC Logic Controller.
Sensorless BLDC / PMSM Motor Drive
The PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL is purpose-built for sensorless field-oriented control of three-phase BLDC and PMSM motors in industrial drives. Its dedicated MCPWM peripheral generates complementary 3-phase PWM with dead-band insertion, while the on-chip 12-bit ADC at 1.1 Msps samples phase currents synchronously to the PWM switching event via the Peripheral Trigger Generator (PTG). The integrated on-chip op-amps condition shunt-resistor signals directly, eliminating external amplifiers. With 256 KB of flash, the device holds sensorless observer tables (Sliding-Mode Estimator or MRAS) plus state-machine code for start-up alignment and back-EMF detection. Compared with a discrete MCU plus external gate driver, this integrated approach reduces PCB area by approximately 40% and BOM cost by 20-25% in 24V/48V drives up to a few hundred watts.
Recommended
Sensored Servo / Robotic Actuator
Industrial servo controllers and robotic actuator joints use the PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL's Quadrature Encoder Interface (QEI) for real-time shaft-position tracking at the 60 MHz system clock. The QEI hardware off-loads position counting from the CPU, leaving MIPS headroom for cascaded PI current/vision loops. The 32 KB SRAM accommodates position trajectories, filter coefficients, and a small stack for real-time OS kernels. The MCPWM outputs drive three-phase IGBT or MOSFET stages with sub-microsecond dead-band control. Operating temperature range of -40 C to +85 C supports industrial cabinet and robot-arm environments. Compared with entry-level Cortex-M0 parts, this PIC24EP device offers 4-8x more MIPS for the same power consumption, enabling higher servo bandwidth and smoother motion profiles.
Recommended
HVAC Fan / Pump Variable-Frequency Drive
Variable-frequency drives for HVAC fans and circulation pumps use the PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL to implement closed-loop V/f and FOC algorithms on single- or three-phase induction and BLDC motors. The 256 KB flash accommodates application-specific control firmware and safety state machines, while the 32 KB RAM is sufficient for ADC buffers, PLL state, and a small RTOS. The wide supply-voltage tolerance and integrated brown-out reset simplify 24V industrial bus power designs. On-chip op-amps interface directly to DC-bus and shunt current sensors, reducing analog front-end cost. The MCPWM handles 3-phase complementary outputs with programmable dead time and fault inputs, meeting IEC 61800 safety requirements when combined with external gate drivers and isolation.
Recommended
Power Conversion / Solar Inverter Control
Solar micro-inverters and DC-DC converters use the PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL for MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) and grid-synchronization control loops. The 70 MIPS PIC24E core runs MPPT algorithms (Perturb-and-Observe or Incremental Conductance) while simultaneously managing grid-current waveform shaping. The MCPWM generates the high-frequency inverter switching signals with hardware fault inputs for over-current protection. The 12-bit ADC with multiple channels monitors PV input voltage, output current, and grid voltage for islanding detection. The 256 KB flash allows storage of multiple MPPT tables, grid-code profiles, and telemetry logs for O&M diagnostics. Compared with general-purpose MCUs, this PIC24EP variant saves development time with hardware dedicated to switch-mode power conversion.
Recommended
Industrial Lighting / LED Driver Control
High-power industrial LED luminaires and stage lighting fixtures use the PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL to generate high-resolution dimming PWM signals and manage multi-channel LED drivers. The MCPWM outputs drive external buck or boost LED driver stages, while the 12-bit ADC monitors LED current, board temperature, and supply voltage for closed-loop dimming and thermal foldback. The 32 KB SRAM holds DMX-512 or DALI command buffers and color-mixing look-up tables for stage fixtures. Compared with simple 8-bit MCUs, this PIC24EP device supports complex lighting protocols and adaptive thermal management in a single chip. The exposed thermal pad on the 44-VTLA package aids heat dissipation in enclosed luminaire designs.
Recommended
Industrial Automation / PLC Logic Controller
Distributed I/O modules, programmable logic controllers, and industrial sensors use the PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL as a 16-bit logic processor with on-chip ADC and fieldbus peripherals. The integrated UART/USART, SPI, and I2C interfaces support Modbus RTU, RS-485, and IO-Link sensor communications without external transceivers (an external transceiver IC is still required for the physical layer). The 256 KB flash accommodates IEC 61131-3 runtime libraries or customer-specific ladder logic, and the 32 KB SRAM buffers I/O scan tables. With -40 C to +85 C industrial temperature range, the device is suited for factory-floor cabinets. The PIC24E core executes deterministic control loops in single-cycle instructions, simplifying PLC cycle-time analysis.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC24EP256MC204T-I/MV | PIC24EP256MC204-I/TL | PIC24EP256GP204T-I/TL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 44-VTLA (6x6 mm) | 44-VTLA (6x6 mm) | 44-VTLA (6x6 mm) | 44-VTLA (6x6 mm) |
| Flash Memory | 256 KB | 256 KB | 256 KB | 256 KB |
| SRAM | 32 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB |
| Core Performance | 70 MIPS / 60 MHz | 70 MIPS / 60 MHz | 70 MIPS / 60 MHz | 70 MIPS / 60 MHz |
| Motor Control PWM (MCPWM) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (general-purpose variant) |
| Quadrature Encoder Interface (QEI) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| On-chip Op-Amps | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C | -40 C to +85 C |
Key Differentiators
- Dedicated MCPWM and QEI hardware for FOC (vs PIC24EP256GP204T-I/TL)
- 256 KB flash in 44-VTLA vs 128 KB in equivalent TQFP parts (vs PIC24EP128MC204T-I/PT)
- On-chip op-amps reduce external BOM (vs PIC24EP256MC204-I/PT (TQFP-44))
Design Notes
The 44-VTLA package features an exposed thermal pad on the underside that MUST be soldered to a continuous copper pour on the top layer, electrically tied to VSS, to meet thermal and electrical return requirements. Follow the Microchip recommended land pattern in the package outline drawing, and use vias in the thermal pad to connect to internal ground planes for improved heat dissipation in motor-control applications where PWM switching losses raise MCU junction temperature.
Decouple VDD with a 10 uF bulk capacitor and a 0.1 uF ceramic capacitor placed within 3 mm of the VDD pin; place a separate 0.1 uF capacitor on AVDD to isolate analog supply noise from digital switching. The on-chip voltage regulator requires its own external decoupling. A ferrite bead or small inductor between VDD and AVDD is recommended when ADC accuracy matters in motor-current sensing applications. Maintain 3.0 V to 3.6 V supply range; brown-out reset (BOR) protects against low-voltage lockups.
Route PWM output traces with short, matched lengths to the gate-driver inputs to minimize switching skew across the three phases. Keep analog op-amp input traces (current-shunt signals) away from PWM switching traces, using a ground guard ring around the analog inputs to reduce capacitive coupling. Place the ICSP programming header footprint (PGED1/PGEC1/MCLR) accessible on the PCB for in-field firmware updates, even on space-constrained layouts. Always include a pull-up resistor on MCLR to VDD for normal operation.
Estimated: when migrating from PIC24EP256GP204T-I/TL to PIC24EP256MC204T-I/TL, verify that the firmware uses the MCPWM and QEI peripherals available only on the MC variant. Do not assume general-purpose CCP/OC modules can replace MCPWM hardware triggers; re-architect the trigger source in PTG and ADC configuration. When migrating to PIC24EP128MC204 variants, confirm that the application fits within 128 KB flash and 16 KB SRAM - bootloader and application code combined often exceed this budget.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Microchip product page. Industrial -40C to +85C temperature range, not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose dsPIC33EP automotive variants for vehicular motor-control applications. Conflict-minerals status reported by Microchip as compliant per their CMRT filings.