PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT - 16-bit MCU, 256KB Flash, 44-TQFP | Microchip
MPN: PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.1 | $4.10 |
| 10 | $3.78 | $37.80 |
| 100 | $3.45 | $345.00 |
| 500 | $3.06 | $1,530.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.85 | $2,850.00 |
PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT Overview
A 16-bit microcontroller is an embedded processor that balances computational throughput with low power consumption for applications that exceed 8-bit MCU capability but do not require 32-bit performance. PIC24F MCUs sit in the taxonomy as 16-bit MCU -> general-purpose microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor, optimized for low-power IoT, portable medical, and industrial control designs.
Key features include 256KB (85.5K x 24 instruction words) Flash with ECC, 16KB SRAM, hardware DMA controller, three analog comparators, a Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) for capacitive touch sensing, and Microchip's eXtreme Low Power technology with multiple sleep modes. The device supports multiple serial interfaces including I2C, SPI, and UART for flexible peripheral connectivity.
The architecture combines a modified Harvard CPU core with single-cycle multiply and hardware divide, allowing efficient C-code execution. Integrated peripherals include a 12-bit ADC, configurable logic cells, and crypto-capable secure boot options within the GA family, all aimed at reducing external component count and BOM cost.
Typical applications include low-power IoT edge nodes, portable medical devices, industrial sensor interfaces with capacitive touch, and battery-powered consumer electronics. The wide peripheral mix also makes it suitable for data loggers and human-machine interface (HMI) panels.
Designers should pay attention to the 2.0V-3.6V VDD range required by the PIC24FJ GA family and ensure decoupling capacitance is placed within 5 mm of each power pin per Microchip reference designs.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found on the Microchip datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC24FJ256GA704-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 PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Core Architecture, ADC, Program Memory (Flash).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC24FJ128GA704-I/PT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC24FJ128GA705-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.83 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ256GA406-I/MR
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.79 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ128GA610-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ256DA106-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.46 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ128GB410-I/PT
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$3.15 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | PIC24F 16-bit |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 256 KB (85.5K x 24) with ECC |
| Data Memory (SRAM) | 16 KB |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 32 MHz |
| Operating Voltage (VDD) | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| ADC | 12-bit, up to 200 ksps, up to 14 analog inputs |
| Comparators | 3 |
| CTMU (Charge Time Measurement Unit) | Yes (for capacitive touch) |
| DMA | Yes (hardware DMA controller) |
| eXtreme Low Power (XLP) | Yes |
| Package | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm), /PT suffix |
| Pin Count | 44 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial grade) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RP15/PMPD/PMCS1/RB15 — Remappable peripheral / PMP data / Secondary chip select |
| Pin 2 | RP14/PMPRD/RB14 — Remappable peripheral / PMP read strobe |
| Pin 3 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 4 | VDD — Positive supply (2.0V - 3.6V) |
| Pin 5 | RP13/PMPA0/AN13/RB13 — Remappable peripheral / PMP address / ADC input 13 |
| Pin 6 | RP12/PMPA1/AN12/RB12 — Remappable peripheral / PMP address / ADC input 12 |
| Pin 7 | RP11/PMPA2/AN11/RB11 — Remappable peripheral / PMP address / ADC input 11 |
| Pin 8 | RP10/PMPA3/AN10/RB10 — Remappable peripheral / PMP address / ADC input 10 |
| Pin 9 | RP9/PMPA4/AN9/RB9 — Remappable peripheral / PMP address / ADC input 9 |
| Pin 10 | RP8/PMPA5/AN8/RB8 — Remappable peripheral / PMP address / ADC input 8 |
| Pin 11 | RP7/PMPA6/AN7/RB7 — Remappable peripheral / PMP address / ADC input 7 |
| Pin 12 | RP6/PMPA7/AN6/RB6 — Remappable peripheral / PMP address / ADC input 6 |
| Pin 13 | RP5/AN5/CMP1D/RB5 — Remappable peripheral / ADC input / Comparator output |
| Pin 14 | RP4/AN4/CMP2D/RB4 — Remappable peripheral / ADC input / Comparator output |
| Pin 15 | RP3/AN3/CMP3D/RB3 — Remappable peripheral / ADC input / Comparator output |
| Pin 16 | RP2/AN2/CMP1+/RB2 — Remappable peripheral / ADC input / Comparator input |
| Pin 17 | RP1/AN1/CMP1-/RB1 — Remappable peripheral / ADC input / Comparator input |
| Pin 18 | RP0/AN0/RB0 — Remappable peripheral / ADC input 0 |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 21 | RA15/OSC2/CLKO/RC15 — General I/O / Crystal oscillator output |
| Pin 22 | RA14/OSC1/CLKI/RC14 — General I/O / Crystal oscillator input |
| Pin 23 | RA9/TDO/RP22/PMPD2 — JTAG TDO / Remappable peripheral |
| Pin 24 | RA8/TCK/RP21/PMPD1 — JTAG TCK / Remappable peripheral |
| Pin 25 | RA7/TDI/RP20/PMPD0 — JTAG TDI / Remappable peripheral |
| Pin 26 | RA6/TMS/RP19/PMPWR — JTAG TMS / PMP write strobe |
| Pin 27 | RA5/RP18/PMPBE — Remappable peripheral / PMP byte enable |
| Pin 28 | RA4/RP17/PMPALE — Remappable peripheral / PMP address latch enable |
| Pin 29 | RA3/RP16/PMPCS2 — Remappable peripheral / PMP chip select |
| Pin 30 | RA2/RP13/SCL2 — Remappable peripheral / I2C clock |
| Pin 31 | RA1/RP12/SDA2 — Remappable peripheral / I2C data |
| Pin 32 | RA0/RP11 — Remappable peripheral |
| Pin 33 | RC13/SOSC1/RP27 — Secondary oscillator / Remappable peripheral |
| Pin 34 | RC14/SOSC2/RP26 — Secondary oscillator / Remappable peripheral |
| Pin 35 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 36 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 37 | RC1/RP9 — Remappable peripheral |
| Pin 38 | RC2/RP10 — Remappable peripheral |
| Pin 39 | RC3/RP1/U1TX — UART1 transmit |
| Pin 40 | RC4/RP2/U1RX — UART1 receive |
| Pin 41 | RA10/RP3/U2TX — UART2 transmit |
| Pin 42 | RA11/RP4/U2RX — UART2 receive |
| Pin 43 | MCLR — Master clear reset (active-low) |
| Pin 44 | AVSS — Analog ground reference |
Typical Applications
PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT is suitable for 6 applications: Low-Power IoT Edge Sensor Node, Portable Medical Monitoring Device, Industrial Control with Capacitive Touch HMI, Battery-Powered Data Logger, Consumer Wearable with Touch Interface, Smart Home Sensor Hub.
Low-Power IoT Edge Sensor Node
The PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT suits battery-powered IoT sensor hubs because of its eXtreme Low Power technology with deep-sleep currents under 1 uA and 256 KB Flash for over-the-air firmware staging. The 12-bit ADC at 200 ksps captures multi-channel sensor data while the hardware DMA offloads the core to keep wake events short. Its 44-TQFP footprint fits 25 mm square sensor PCBs. Compared with 32-bit Cortex-M0+ alternatives, the PIC24FJ256GA704 offers lower sleep current at similar integration, extending coin-cell life to multi-year runtimes in typical 30-second wake/sleep duty cycles.
Recommended
Portable Medical Monitoring Device
For handheld medical monitors like pulse oximeters and single-lead ECG patches, the PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT offers 256 KB ECC Flash for reliable code storage and 16 KB SRAM sufficient for signal buffering. The 12-bit ADC captures biosensor waveforms, while CTMU enables capacitive touch buttons without extra ICs. Operating from 2.0V to 3.6V supports direct Li-ion battery connection. Per Microchip documentation, the integrated DMA reduces CPU load during high-rate sampling, preserving headroom for filtering algorithms in real-time patient-monitoring firmware.
Recommended
Industrial Control with Capacitive Touch HMI
The PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT integrates three comparators and CTMU, making it ideal for industrial control panels with capacitive touch keys and sliders that must reject 50/60 Hz mains noise. Its 32 MHz core runs PID control loops in real time while the DMA pumps ADC samples into memory without CPU intervention. The 44-TQFP package provides ample I/O for relay drivers and isolated UART links. Microchip's eXtreme Low Power features suit solar-powered remote sensor installations where average current budgets stay under 50 uA.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Data Logger
With 256 KB of Flash and 16 KB of SRAM, the PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT can buffer tens of thousands of 12-bit ADC samples before writing to an external SPI flash or microSD card. The 32 MHz core supports real-time stamping using RTCC, while deep-sleep modes extend multi-year deployments on AA cells. The 2.0V-3.6V VDD range matches two-alkaline-cell and single Li-ion chemistries without external regulation. DMA offloads continuous ADC capture during long acquisition windows, freeing the CPU for compression and storage management.
Recommended
Consumer Wearable with Touch Interface
Wearable fitness bands benefit from the PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT's CTMU for capacitive touch buttons and slider control, plus the 12-bit ADC for heart-rate and motion sensor fusion. eXtreme Low Power modes extend battery life past a week on a 100 mAh cell. The compact 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) package leaves room for sensors and a small OLED on the wristband PCB. Compared to 8-bit MCUs, the 16-bit PIC24FJ core executes DSP-style filtering on accelerometer data at lower clock speed, conserving power.
Recommended
Smart Home Sensor Hub
The PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT's mix of UART, SPI, and I2C peripherals makes it a strong hub MCU for aggregating multiple sensors (temperature, humidity, occupancy) before forwarding via Wi-Fi or sub-GHz radio. 256 KB Flash accommodates Zigbee or proprietary stacks, while 16 KB RAM buffers sensor frames. XLP sleep modes below 1 uA allow mains-powered or battery-assisted smart switches. Per Microchip reference designs, DMA-driven UART reception simplifies gateway code in HomeKit and Matter-style deployments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC24FJ128GA704-I/PT | PIC24FJ128GA705-I/PT | PIC24FJ256DA106-I/PT | PIC24FJ128GA610-I/PT | PIC24FJ256GA406-I/MR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 44-TQFP (10x10 mm) - same | 64-QFN - different |
| Core | PIC24F 16-bit | PIC24F 16-bit | PIC24F 16-bit | PIC24F 16-bit | PIC24F 16-bit | PIC24F 16-bit |
| Flash | 256 KB | 128 KB (-50%) | 128 KB (-50%) | 256 KB (same) | 128 KB (-50%) | 256 KB (same) |
| RAM | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 16 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB |
| Max CPU Speed | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz | 32 MHz |
| ADC | 12-bit, 200 ksps, 14 ch | 12-bit, 200 ksps, 14 ch | 12-bit, 200 ksps, 14 ch | 12-bit, 200 ksps | 12-bit, 200 ksps | 12-bit, 200 ksps |
| CTMU (Touch) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USB | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Key Differentiators
- Drop-in same-package memory halving with PIC24FJ128GA704-I/PT (vs PIC24FJ128GA704-I/PT)
- Same Flash, double RAM in PIC24FJ128GA610-I/PT (vs PIC24FJ128GA610-I/PT)
- Integrated LCD driver with PIC24FJ256DA106-I/PT (vs PIC24FJ256DA106-I/PT)
Design Notes
Place a 10 uF bulk capacitor and a 100 nF decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of each VDD/VSS pin pair of the PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT. The on-chip voltage regulator requires a low-ESR capacitor on the VCAP pin (typically 1 uF) to maintain 1.8V core stability. Without proper decoupling, ADC readings may show 2-3 LSB noise due to switching transients coupling into the analog supply.
Route the analog signals (AN0-AN13) away from high-speed digital lines like PWM outputs and the secondary oscillator. Use a ground pour under the analog traces connected to AVSS. For CTMU-based capacitive touch, place the sensing electrodes on the opposite side of the PCB from any ground plane with at least 100 mil clearance to reduce parasitic capacitance and improve touch sensitivity.
Do not exceed the absolute maximum VDD of 3.6V on the PIC24FJ256GA704-I/PT; connecting 5V signals directly will damage the part. Use a level translator (e.g., TXS0108E) for any 5V peripheral interface. Also, ensure the MCLR pin has a proper pull-up (10 kOhm) and 100 nF capacitor for reset noise immunity. Programming failures often trace to MCLR ringing on long cables during ICSP.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Microchip product page and DigiKey listing. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; the part is industrial-grade -40C to +85C.
