PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM - 72MHz 256KB Flash 32-bit MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.65 | $6.65 |
| 10 | $6.12 | $61.20 |
| 100 | $5.43 | $543.00 |
| 500 | $4.86 | $2,430.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.35 | $4,350.00 |
PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM Overview
A 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip processor, memory, and peripheral subsystem that integrates a 32-bit CPU, program/Flash memory, SRAM data memory, and on-chip peripherals such as ADC, timers, communication interfaces, and I/O. Within the broader semiconductor taxonomy, an MCU belongs to the class of microcontrollers, which sit under embedded processors, which themselves fall under the larger category of integrated circuits (ICs). The PIC32MX family is Microchip's 32-bit MIPS-based MCU portfolio, designed for low-power embedded applications where deterministic real-time performance is required.
Key features of the PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM include 256KB Flash, 64KB SRAM, 72MHz maximum CPU clock, 10-bit ADC, and integrated peripherals including UART, SPI/I2S, I2C, three comparators, CTMU (Charge Time Measurement Unit), and RTCC (Real-Time Clock Calendar). The XLP family brings reduced run, sleep, and deep-sleep currents relative to earlier PIC32MX generations, making this device suitable for battery-powered applications. AEC-Q100 qualification enables use in automotive applications including body electronics, sensors, HMI, and lighting controllers.
The PIC32MX17x family architecture is built around a 32-bit MIPS M4K core with single-cycle hardware multiply and divide. The bus matrix supports concurrent DMA and CPU access to Flash and SRAM, and the peripheral set scales from 28-pin to 44-pin packages with up to 72MHz operation. Compared with earlier PIC32MX generations, the 17x family reduces active current and offers sub-uA deep-sleep modes with RTCC retention, extending battery life in duty-cycled applications.
Typical applications include automotive body and sensor modules, IoT edge nodes, low-power industrial sensing, HMI touch panels, and battery-powered wireless sensor platforms. The wide temperature grade (-V) and AEC-Q100 qualification make the device well suited to under-hood and cabin automotive environments, while the XLP current profile extends to coin-cell and lithium-powered IoT products.
When designing with this part, place decoupling capacitors (100nF and 10uF) immediately adjacent to the VDD/VSS pins and route the exposed thermal pad to a continuous ground copper pour for thermal dissipation. Verify toolchain support: MPLAB X IDE, XC32 compiler, and Harmony 5.0+ provide full coverage for the PIC32MX17x family.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing across DigiKey, Mouser, and Octopart, lists drop-in same-package and cross-package alternatives from the PIC32MX family, and surfaces practical design notes not typically found in the manufacturer product page.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM — 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 PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Core Architecture, Operating Voltage Range, MSL Level.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC32MX174F256B-V/MM
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.46 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC32MX274F256BT-V/MM
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC32MX170F256BT-V/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.65 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC32MX174F128BT-V/MM
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC32MX174F512BT-V/PT
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | MIPS32 M4K |
| Family | PIC32MX17x (XLP) |
| CPU Bit Width | 32-bit |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 72 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 256 KB (256K x 8) |
| Data SRAM | 64 KB |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.3 V to 3.6 V |
| ADC | 10-bit |
| Comparators | 3 |
| CTMU | Yes (Charge Time Measurement Unit) |
| RTCC | Yes (Real-Time Clock Calendar) |
| Communication Interfaces | UART, SPI/I2S, I2C |
| Package | 28-QFN-S (6x6 mm) with exposed pad |
| Pin Count | 28 |
| Temperature Grade | -40C to +105C (automotive, -V) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| AEC-Q100 Qualification | Qualified |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDD — Power supply input |
| Pin 2 | OSC1/RC13 — Oscillator input or GPIO |
| Pin 3 | OSC2/RC14 — Oscillator output or GPIO |
| Pin 4 | SOSCO/RPC0 — Secondary oscillator or GPIO |
| Pin 5 | SOSCI/RPC1 — Secondary oscillator or GPIO |
| Pin 6 | RPC2 — GPIO |
| Pin 7 | RPC3 — GPIO |
| Pin 8 | RPC4 — GPIO |
| Pin 9 | RPC5 — GPIO |
| Pin 10 | RPC6 — GPIO |
| Pin 11 | RPC7 — GPIO |
| Pin 12 | RPC8 — GPIO |
| Pin 13 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 14 | VDD — Power supply input |
| Pin 15 | RA0 — GPIO/Analog input |
| Pin 16 | RA1 — GPIO/Analog input |
| Pin 17 | RA2 — GPIO/Analog input |
| Pin 18 | RA3 — GPIO/Analog input |
| Pin 19 | RA4 — GPIO/Analog input |
| Pin 20 | RA5 — GPIO/Analog input |
| Pin 21 | RA6 — GPIO/Analog input |
| Pin 22 | RA7 — GPIO/Analog input |
| Pin 23 | RB0 — GPIO/Programming |
| Pin 24 | RB1 — GPIO/Programming |
| Pin 25 | RB2 — GPIO |
| Pin 26 | RB3 — GPIO |
| Pin 27 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 28 | VDD — Power supply input |
Typical Applications
PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM is suitable for 6 applications: Automotive Body Electronics, Industrial IoT Sensor Nodes, Battery-Powered Wearable Devices, Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Touch Panels, Smart Home Connected Devices, Medical Patient Monitoring.
Automotive Body Electronics
The PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM's AEC-Q100 qualification and -40C to +105C operating range make it ideal for automotive body controllers including door modules, seat controllers, mirror/lineralight drivers, and HVAC actuators. The 256KB Flash accommodates LIN AutoSAR/LIBE stack plus application logic, and the 72MHz MIPS M4K core executes CAN/LIN message handling with deterministic latency. The XLP low-power modes support parasitic drain requirements for always-on body modules that must draw less than 100 uA in standby.
Recommended
Industrial IoT Sensor Nodes
The PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM is suited for industrial IoT sensor nodes running Modbus, IO-Link, or wireless sensor protocols over UART/SPI/I2C peripherals. The 10-bit ADC with internal CTMU enables capacitive touch sensing or RTD temperature measurement, while RTCC retention in deep-sleep allows multi-year coin-cell lifetime. The 64KB SRAM supports TLS/DTLS handshake buffers, and the 256KB Flash stores application plus wireless protocol stack.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Wearable Devices
The PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM's XLP low-power modes extend battery life in fitness bands, medical wearables, and smart watches. Deep-sleep current is sub-uA with RTCC retention, allowing the device to wake only on accelerometer interrupt or scheduled sampling events. The 72MHz MIPS M4K core executes sensor fusion algorithms for step counting, heart-rate estimation, and gesture recognition, while the 256KB Flash stores both application code and DSP libraries.
Recommended
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Touch Panels
The PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM's CTMU peripheral enables robust capacitive touch sensing for HMI panels, slider controls, and proximity sensors. The 10-bit ADC captures touch-signal measurements with hardware averaging, while the 72MHz MIPS core drives TFT LCD control via PMP or SPI peripherals. The 256KB Flash stores GUI assets and touch-signal processing libraries, and the 64KB SRAM supports frame-buffer caching for small graphic displays.
Recommended
Smart Home Connected Devices
The PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM is well suited for smart home devices including thermostats, security sensors, smart locks, and lighting controllers. The wide 2.3V to 3.6V supply range supports direct battery operation, and the XLP sleep current extends battery life in wireless sensor endpoints. The 256KB Flash stores wireless protocol stacks (Zigbee, Thread, Matter) plus application logic, while the CTMU peripheral enables capacitive touch for user controls.
Recommended
Medical Patient Monitoring
The PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM serves low-end medical devices including pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, and wearable health trackers. The 10-bit ADC captures bio-impedance, temperature, and optical sensor signals, while the 72MHz MIPS core executes signal-processing algorithms. The AEC-Q100 qualification and -40C to +105C temperature range enable deployment in hospital and clinical environments, and the 256KB Flash supports FDA-compliant firmware with secure-boot capability.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC32MX174F256BT-V/MM — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC32MX174F256B-V/MM | PIC32MX274F256BT-V/MM | PIC32MX170F256BT-V/ML | PIC32MX174F128BT-V/MM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 28-QFN-S (6x6 mm) | 28-QFN-S (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN-S (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN-S (6x6 mm) - same | 28-QFN-S (6x6 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same | Microchip Technology - same |
| Flash Memory | 256 KB | 256 KB | 256 KB | 256 KB | 128 KB (-50%) |
| SRAM | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 72 MHz | 72 MHz | 72 MHz | 72 MHz | 72 MHz |
| USB Support | No | No | Yes (USB 2.0 full-speed + crypto) | No | No |
| Temperature Grade | -40C to +105C (-V) | -40C to +105C (-V) | -40C to +105C (-V) | -40C to +105C (-V) | -40C to +105C (-V) |
| AEC-Q100 Qualified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Approximate Unit Price (qty 1000) | ~$4.35 | ~$4.35 (tray) | ~$5.20 | ~$3.90 | ~$3.80 |
Key Differentiators
- Automotive AEC-Q100 qualification (vs PIC32MX174F256BT-I/MM (industrial grade))
- XLP low-power modes (vs PIC32MX170F256BT-V/ML)
- USB 2.0 full-speed option (vs PIC32MX174F256B-V/MM)
Design Notes
Place a 100nF ceramic decoupling capacitor immediately adjacent to each VDD pin (1, 14, 28) and a single 10uF bulk capacitor near the device. The exposed thermal pad must be soldered to a continuous ground pour with multiple thermal vias to a ground plane. Estimated: at 72 MHz active CPU with 3.3V supply, expect 30-40 mA active current; deep-sleep with RTCC retention drops to sub-uA per the PIC32MX17x datasheet.
Route the exposed thermal pad to a top-layer ground copper pour with 4-8 thermal vias to the inner ground layer for heat spreading. Place the 8 MHz primary oscillator traces (OSC1, OSC2) within 1 cm of the device with grounded guard traces. Keep ADC analog traces away from switching power and high-speed digital signals to minimize coupled noise.
Verify the supply voltage stays within 2.3V-3.6V across all load transients - brown-out at <2.3V can corrupt Flash and lock the device. Do not leave floating analog inputs on the ADC channels; unused pins should be set as outputs or inputs with the internal pull-up enabled. The ICSP programming pins PGECx/PGEDx must be accessible for in-circuit programming - do not place them on inaccessible board positions.
Estimated: at maximum 72 MHz CPU and 3.3V supply with all peripherals active, power dissipation is approximately 130 mW. The 28-QFN-S package with exposed pad provides theta_JA around 30-40 C/W when soldered to a ground pour, supporting operation up to +105C ambient. For continuous high-CPU-load applications, derate to 60-72 MHz or add active cooling.
Compliance Information
AEC-Q100 qualified for automotive applications per Microchip product page. RoHS and REACH compliant. Halogen-free per Microchip environmental compliance disclosure.
