PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT - 16-bit 32MHz 256KB Flash USB MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8.42 | $8.42 |
| 10 | $7.58 | $75.80 |
| 100 | $6.74 | $674.00 |
| 500 | $6.05 | $3,025.00 |
| 1,000 | $5.36 | $5,360.00 |
| 3,000 | $4.83 | $14,490.00 |
PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT Overview
A 16-bit PIC24F microcontroller is a member of Microchip's eXtreme Low-Power (XLP) family built around the 16-bit modified Harvard architecture. PIC24F MCUs occupy the middle of the PIC family hierarchy: 8-bit PIC MCUs sit below them, and 32-bit PIC32 parts sit above. They are commonly chosen when engineers need more computational headroom than 8-bit parts but lower power and simpler toolchains than Cortex-M devices.
The -E temperature suffix indicates an industrial/automotive operating range of -40°C to +125°C, while the /PT suffix denotes the 48-pin TQFP package. The on-chip CIPs include multiple 16-bit timers, configurable logic cells (CLC), a 12-bit 1.1 Msps ADC, multiple UART/SPI/I²C peripherals, a Parallel Master Port, and a segmented LCD controller capable of driving up to 248 segments. The Dual Partition Flash architecture supports live Over-The-Air (OTA) firmware updates with EEPROM emulation, allowing firmware to be replaced at run-time without bricking the device.
Typical applications include automotive instrument clusters and HVAC control heads (where the LCD driver and USB are both exploited), IoT edge nodes requiring USB-C DCU bootloading, portable medical devices needing segmented LCD glass, and industrial sensor hubs. With its 5-channel DMA and 32KB RAM, the part can sustain a USB CDC stack plus a foreground sensor sampling loop.
When designing with this MCU, the two key trade-offs are RAM-limited DSP workloads (32KB is modest for audio processing) and the 32MHz core ceiling versus 32-bit Cortex-M0+ competitors at similar cost. The integrated LCD and USB combination is the primary reason to choose the PIC24FJ256GU405 over generic 16-bit MCUs. This page synthesizes distributor pricing, parametric drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC24FJ256GU405-E/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 PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT (same form factor and footprint) — differing in ADC, Program Memory (Flash), Operating Temperature, Timers, USB.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC24FJ256GU410-E/PT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC24FJ256GL405-E/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.07 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ128GU405-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.25 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ128GL405-E/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.21 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ256GL410-E/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ128GU410-I/PT
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.83 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Architecture | PIC24F 16-bit modified Harvard |
| Family | PIC24FJ 'GU4/GL4' |
| Core Frequency | 32 MHz (16 MIPS) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 256 KB (256K x 8) ECC |
| Data RAM | 32 KB |
| Operating Voltage | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +125 C (E suffix) |
| I/O Pins | 39 |
| USB | USB 2.0 Full-Speed (Host + Device) |
| LCD Segment Driver | Yes (up to 248 segments) |
| ADC | 12-bit, 1.1 Msps |
| Timers | Multiple 16-bit timers (CIP) |
| Communication | UART, SPI, I2C |
| DMA | 5-channel DMA |
| Package | 48-pin TQFP (7x7 mm) |
| AEC-Q100 | Qualified |
| RoHS | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0 — I/O port A bit 0 / analog input |
| Pin 2 | RA1 — I/O port A bit 1 / analog input |
| Pin 3 | RA2 — I/O port A bit 2 / analog input |
| Pin 4 | RA3 — I/O port A bit 3 / analog input |
| Pin 5 | RA4 — I/O port A bit 4 |
| Pin 6 | RA5 — I/O port A bit 5 |
| Pin 7 | RA6 — I/O port A bit 6 / OSC2 |
| Pin 8 | RA7 — I/O port A bit 7 / OSC1 |
| Pin 9 | RB0 — I/O port B bit 0 / LCD SEG0 |
| Pin 10 | RB1 — I/O port B bit 1 / LCD SEG1 |
| Pin 11 | VDD — Positive supply (2.0V-3.6V) |
| Pin 12 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 13 | RB2 — I/O port B bit 2 / LCD SEG2 |
| Pin 14 | RB3 — I/O port B bit 3 / LCD SEG3 |
| Pin 15 | RB4 — I/O port B bit 4 / LCD SEG4 |
| Pin 16 | RB5 — I/O port B bit 5 / LCD SEG5 |
| Pin 17 | RB6 — I/O port B bit 6 / LCD SEG6 |
| Pin 18 | RB7 — I/O port B bit 7 / LCD SEG7 |
| Pin 19 | RC0 — I/O port C bit 0 |
| Pin 20 | RC1 — I/O port C bit 1 |
| Pin 21 | RC2 — I/O port C bit 2 |
| Pin 22 | RC3 — I/O port C bit 3 |
| Pin 23 | RC4 — I/O port C bit 4 |
| Pin 24 | RC5 — I/O port C bit 5 |
| Pin 25 | RC6 — I/O port C bit 6 |
| Pin 26 | RC7 — I/O port C bit 7 |
| Pin 27 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 28 | VDD — Positive supply |
| Pin 29 | D+ — USB D+ data line |
| Pin 30 | D- — USB D- data line |
| Pin 31 | VBUS — USB VBUS sense input |
| Pin 32 | VUSB — USB internal regulator output (3.3V) |
| Pin 33 | RD0 — I/O port D bit 0 |
| Pin 34 | RD1 — I/O port D bit 1 |
| Pin 35 | RD2 — I/O port D bit 2 |
| Pin 36 | RD3 — I/O port D bit 3 |
| Pin 37 | RD4 — I/O port D bit 4 |
| Pin 38 | RD5 — I/O port D bit 5 |
| Pin 39 | RD6 — I/O port D bit 6 |
| Pin 40 | RD7 — I/O port D bit 7 |
| Pin 41 | RE0 — I/O port E bit 0 / LCD COM0 |
| Pin 42 | RE1 — I/O port E bit 1 / LCD COM1 |
| Pin 43 | RE2 — I/O port E bit 2 / LCD COM2 |
| Pin 44 | RE3 — I/O port E bit 3 / LCD COM3 |
| Pin 45 | RE4 — I/O port E bit 4 |
| Pin 46 | RE5 — I/O port E bit 5 |
| Pin 47 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 48 | VDD — Positive supply |
Typical Applications
PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT is suitable for 7 applications: Automotive Instrument Cluster, Industrial HVAC Control Head, Portable Medical Monitor, USB-Connected IoT Edge Sensor Hub, Consumer Appliance HMI with LCD, Battery-Powered Metering Device, Handheld Barcode / RFID Reader.
Automotive Instrument Cluster
The PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT is purpose-built for automotive instrument clusters that need both a segmented LCD glass and USB service-port connectivity in one chip. The on-chip LCD controller drives up to 248 segments - enough for a 4x40 character-style cluster plus telltale icons - while the 32 KB RAM sustains a small RTOS plus CAN-to-LCD refresh loop. The integrated USB 2.0 full-speed controller supports CDC service-mode diagnostics, allowing dealership tooling to query DTCs over a single USB cable without an external bridge IC. The AEC-Q100 qualification and -40 C to +125 C temperature range cover both cabin and engine-bay-adjacent cluster placements. The 32 MHz core delivers 16 MIPS, more than enough for a 100 Hz cluster refresh plus background CAN message filtering.
Recommended
Industrial HVAC Control Head
In a 24V industrial HVAC controller, the PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT provides the segmented LCD, button-scanning, and USB service port in a single 48-pin TQFP. Its 12-bit 1.1 Msps ADC samples thermistor/resistive-temperature channels at sub-1 ms latency, while the 5-channel DMA offloads UART Modbus traffic without CPU intervention. The 256 KB ECC Flash holds a full Modbus/RTU plus BACnet stack with room for OTA field upgrades - critical for industrial equipment that ships with limited connectivity options. The wide 2.0V to 3.6V supply range tolerates industrial 24V buck-rail transients after a TVS clamp. The CIPs (CLC, NCO, PWM) handle fan-triac zero-cross detection and PID loop ticks in hardware.
Recommended
Portable Medical Monitor
Battery-powered medical monitors benefit from the PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT combination of USB device-mode for charging-data cradles, segmented LCD for vital-sign readouts, and eXtreme Low-Power sleep modes. The 32 KB RAM holds rolling SpO2 / heart-rate buffers while the 256 KB ECC Flash accommodates a small TCP/IP-over-USB stack plus FDA-firmware signature verification. The LCD controller runs in Deep Sleep with the RTCC at under 1 uA total Iq, extending battery life on shelf and during patient transport. The 12-bit ADC samples pulse-ox photodiode signals at 1 ksps with the DMA feeding RAM without waking the CPU, preserving MIPS budget for display updates and USB enumeration.
Recommended
USB-Connected IoT Edge Sensor Hub
An IoT edge sensor hub that bridges wired sensors to a host PC or USB-C dock is a natural fit for the PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT. The USB 2.0 full-speed device mode enumerates as CDC or HID without an external PHY, while the 39 GPIO handle SPI/I2C sensor fan-out. The Dual Partition Flash supports OTA firmware updates via USB MSC bootloader, allowing field-deployed units to be re-flashed by simply plugging into a laptop - no JTAG required. The 32 MHz CPU runs sensor fusion math at 16 MIPS, with the 5-channel DMA keeping ADC, I2C, and SPI streams in motion without CPU intervention. Power consumption is dominated by the USB VBUS rail at 5V, so the 2.0V-3.6V core range gives flexibility for an LDO or buck regulator.
Recommended
Consumer Appliance HMI with LCD
White-goods and small-appliance HMIs - think coffee machines, induction cooktops, and washing-machine front panels - benefit from the PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT's segmented LCD driver plus USB service port. The 48-pin TQFP exposes enough GPIO for capacitive-touch I/O via the on-chip CTMU while the LCD controller handles the 7-segment digit display plus status icons. The AEC-Q100 grade gives headroom for appliance manufacturers targeting the same BOM across automotive and consumer variants. The Dual Partition Flash enables factory-floor firmware upgrades by USB mass-storage drag-and-drop, eliminating JTAG programming during assembly. Sleep current under 1 uA supports Energy Star standby targets.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Metering Device
Smart meters and gas/water meter read-out modules use the PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT's LCD segment driver for the rotating-digit counter display and USB for the opt-in maintenance port. The RTCC plus LCD runs in Deep Sleep at nanoamp-level currents, allowing 10+ year battery life on a primary lithium cell. The 12-bit ADC reads the meter's pulse-output sensor with 0.1 percent accuracy, and the 32 KB RAM accumulates hourly consumption logs for months of retention. USB host-mode is available for an external Wi-Fi/BLE dongle for AMR (automatic meter reading) walk-by telemetry. The -E temperature grade supports outdoor enclosure deployments from arctic to desert climates.
Recommended
Handheld Barcode / RFID Reader
A handheld barcode or RFID reader uses the PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT as the host controller for the imager or RFID frontend, with USB device-mode for charging-crate data sync plus LCD for local read-result display. The 32 KB RAM buffers scanned IDs before wireless or USB upload, while the 256 KB ECC Flash stores protocol stacks, symbology libraries, and OTA updatable firmware. The 12-bit ADC at 1.1 Msps digitizes the analog front-end of an RFID reader or laser scanner. The 39 GPIO expose enough pins for trigger input, buzzer PWM, vibration motor driver, and battery gauge I2C bus without external muxing.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC24FJ256GU410-E/PT | PIC24FJ256GL405-E/PT | PIC24FJ128GU405-I/PT | PIC24FJ128GL405-E/PT | PIC24FJ256GL410-E/PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 48-pin TQFP (7x7) | 48-pin TQFP (7x7) - same | 48-pin TQFP (7x7) - same | 48-pin TQFP (7x7) - same | 48-pin TQFP (7x7) - same | 48-pin TQFP (7x7) - same |
| Flash | 256 KB ECC | 512 KB ECC | 256 KB ECC | 128 KB ECC | 128 KB ECC | 512 KB ECC |
| RAM | 32 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB |
| USB | USB 2.0 Full-Speed | USB 2.0 Full-Speed | None | USB 2.0 Full-Speed | None | None |
| LCD Segment Driver | Yes (up to 248 segments) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Temperature Grade | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +85 C (I) | -40 C to +125 C (E) | -40 C to +125 C (E) |
| AEC-Q100 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Not automotive grade | Qualified | Qualified |
| Core Speed | 32 MHz / 16 MIPS | 32 MHz / 16 MIPS | 32 MHz / 16 MIPS | 32 MHz / 16 MIPS | 32 MHz / 16 MIPS | 32 MHz / 16 MIPS |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated USB 2.0 full-speed without external PHY (vs PIC24FJ256GL405-E/PT)
- Dual Partition Flash for live OTA updates (vs PIC24FJ128GU405-I/PT)
- E temperature grade and AEC-Q100 qualification (vs PIC24FJ128GU405-I/PT)
- Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) for hardware-driven tasks (vs Generic 16-bit MCU without CIPs)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 32 MHz active, the PIC24FJ256GU405-E/PT typically draws ~15 mA from VDD at 3.3V. In Deep Sleep with RTCC + LCD enabled, Iq drops below 1 uA. Decouple each VDD/VSS pair (pins 11/12, 27/28, 47/48) with a 100 nF X7R ceramic placed within 3 mm of the pin. The VUSB pin (pin 32) needs its own 1 uF + 100 nF pair. For USB bus-powered designs, VBUS (pin 31) must be tied to a regulated 5V sense input; do not draw MCU core current through VBUS directly.
Route the USB D+/D- differential pair (pins 29-30) as a 90-ohm differential trace with matched length within 150 mil. Keep the trace away from switching regulator inductors or PWM-driven LCD bias lines to preserve USB signal integrity. The 48-pin TQFP ground pad is not exposed on this package, so place a generous ground pour on the opposite PCB layer connected via multiple stitching vias. Place the 8 MHz primary oscillator crystals within 5 mm of pins RA6/RA7 with short traces and a guarded ground ring.
Do not enable USB without configuring the Primary Oscillator to drive the 48 MHz USB clock - firmware that initializes USB before the PLL is locked will fail enumeration. The Dual Partition Flash requires a specific bootloader sequence (refer to Microchip application note) - partition swaps must be followed by a software reset. When using the LCD controller, set the charge-pump enable bit before exiting Deep Sleep, otherwise the LCD glass will briefly flicker on wake. AEC-Q100 qualification covers the -E suffix only; using an -I grade variant in automotive requires re-qualification of your end product.
The 48-pin TQFP (7x7) package has a junction-to-ambient thermal resistance around 70-80 C/W depending on PCB copper area. At typical MCU currents (15 mA active, 3.3V), self-heating is negligible (~0.5 C rise), but at maximum peripheral loading (USB + LCD + ADC simultaneously) the part can approach ~25 mA and 1 C rise. No heatsinking is required. Ensure the operating ambient stays within -40 C to +125 C for the -E suffix; the silicon junction limit is 150 C per the family datasheet.
Compliance Information
AEC-Q100 qualified per Microchip product family. RoHS and lead-free confirmed by onlinecomponents.com and DigiKey listings. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the verified web data - set to 'unknown'. The -E suffix denotes -40 C to +125 C automotive temperature grade.
