PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML - 50MHz, 128KB Flash MCU | Microchip
MPN: PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.21 | $6.21 |
| 10 | $5.78 | $57.80 |
| 100 | $5.22 | $522.00 |
| 500 | $4.68 | $2,340.00 |
| 1,000 | $4.15 | $4,150.00 |
PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML Overview
A 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a programmable processor that executes from on-chip non-volatile storage and provides on-chip RAM plus interrupt and control mechanisms. Within the embedded component hierarchy, this device belongs to PIC32 MX1XX/2XX family -> PIC32MX microcontroller family -> 32-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> embedded processor -> semiconductor. It is a general-purpose MCU positioned above 8-bit/16-bit MCUs and below 32-bit application processors in capability.
Key features include 0.5 mA/MHz typical active current consumption, mTouch capacitive touch sensing support, an on-chip temperature sensor, 10-bit ADC with up to 1 Msps conversion rate, and 5 16-bit timers/counters. The PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML variant is specified for the industrial temperature range (-40C to +85C) and runs at the maximum 50 MHz core clock speed.
The device uses a 5-stage pipeline Harvard architecture with single-cycle multiplication and hardware divide, supporting the MIPS32 instruction set with DSP extensions. Its 128 KB Flash is partitioned to include 3 KB auxiliary Flash for bootloader or data storage, and the 32 KB SRAM supports DMA access for high-throughput peripheral transfers. USB 2.0 full-speed operation runs without an external crystal when supplied from the on-chip PLL, simplifying USB device and embedded host designs.
Typical applications include USB audio interfaces, USB HID peripherals, embedded graphics with PMP-driven TFT or OLED displays, capacitive touch keypads using mTouch, industrial control via USB or CAN bridges, and low-power sensor hubs that benefit from 0.5 mA/MHz active current. The combination of USB OTG, PMP graphics, and I2S audio makes it a strong fit for consumer audio accessories and HMI front panels.
When designing with this MCU, ensure the 3.3 V supply is decoupled with 100 nF + 10 uF capacitors near each VDD/VSS pair, route the 8 MHz primary oscillator traces short and guard them with a ground pour, and use the PPS feature to remap peripherals to convenient pins without rewiring the PCB. The exposed thermal pad must be soldered to the PCB ground plane for proper thermal and electrical performance.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family drop-in alternatives, parametric comparisons, and practical design notes not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet, accelerating both prototyping and procurement decisions for PIC32MX1XX/2XX family designs.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC32MX250F128D-50I/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 PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, ADC, Operating Temperature, Operating Voltage, Core Architecture.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC32MX250F128D-I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC32MX250F128DT-50I/ML
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC32MX230F256D-50I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.96 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC32MX170F256D-I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC32MX150F128D-50I/ML
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3.05 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | MIPS32 M4K |
| Core Size | 32-bit |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 50 MHz (83 DMIPS) |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 128 KB (128K x 8) |
| Auxiliary Flash | 3 KB |
| Data Memory (SRAM) | 32 KB |
| Operating Voltage | 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +85C (industrial) |
| Package | 44-pin QFN (8x8 mm) with EP |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| USB Controller | USB 2.0 Full-Speed Device/Host/OTG |
| I2S/SPI Modules | 2 |
| Parallel Master Port (PMP) | Yes |
| Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) | Yes |
| ADC | 10-bit, up to 1 Msps |
| Timers | 5 x 16-bit |
| Active Current Consumption | 0.5 mA/MHz typical |
| mTouch Capacitive Sensing | Supported |
| On-chip Temperature Sensor | Yes |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA0 — General purpose I/O / PPS input |
| Pin 2 | RA1 — General purpose I/O / PPS input |
| Pin 3 | RA2 — General purpose I/O / PPS input |
| Pin 4 | RA3 — General purpose I/O / PPS input |
| Pin 5 | RA4 — General purpose I/O / PPS input |
| Pin 6 | RA5 — General purpose I/O / PPS input |
| Pin 7 | RA6 — General purpose I/O / PPS input |
| Pin 8 | RA7 — General purpose I/O / PPS input |
| Pin 9 | RB0 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 10 | RB1 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 11 | RB2 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 12 | RB3 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 13 | RB4 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 14 | RB5 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 15 | RB6 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 16 | RB7 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 17 | RC0 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 18 | RC1 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 19 | RC2 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 20 | RC3 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 21 | RC4 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 22 | RC5 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 23 | RC6 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 24 | RC7 — General purpose I/O / PPS |
| Pin 25 | RD0 — General purpose I/O / PMP data |
| Pin 26 | RD1 — General purpose I/O / PMP data |
| Pin 27 | RD2 — General purpose I/O / PMP data |
| Pin 28 | RD3 — General purpose I/O / PMP data |
| Pin 29 | RD4 — General purpose I/O / PMP data |
| Pin 30 | RD5 — General purpose I/O / PMP data |
| Pin 31 | RD6 — General purpose I/O / PMP data |
| Pin 32 | RD7 — General purpose I/O / PMP data |
| Pin 33 | RE0 — General purpose I/O / PMP control |
| Pin 34 | RE1 — General purpose I/O / PMP control |
| Pin 35 | RE2 — General purpose I/O / PMP control |
| Pin 36 | RE3 — General purpose I/O / PMP control |
| Pin 37 | RE4 — General purpose I/O / PMP control |
| Pin 38 | RE5 — General purpose I/O / PMP control |
| Pin 39 | RE6 — General purpose I/O / PMP control |
| Pin 40 | RE7 — General purpose I/O / PMP control |
| Pin 41 | VDD — Positive supply (2.5V or 3.3V) |
| Pin 42 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 43 | VDD — Positive supply (2.5V or 3.3V) |
| Pin 44 | VSS — Ground reference |
Typical Applications
PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML is suitable for 6 applications: USB Audio Interface, Embedded HMI with PMP Graphics, Capacitive Touch Keypad (mTouch), USB-to-UART / USB HID Bridge, Industrial Sensor Hub, Consumer Audio Accessory with HID Controls.
USB Audio Interface
The PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML is a strong fit for USB audio peripherals because it integrates a USB 2.0 full-speed OTG controller that can stream isochronous audio at 48 kHz / 16-bit without an external codec interface controller. The two on-chip I2S modules connect directly to common audio DACs and ADCs such as the PCM5101A or SGTL5000, while the 32 KB SRAM buffers incoming USB packets and outgoing I2S samples with comfortable margin. At 50 MHz / 83 DMIPS the M4K core handles USB stack, audio rendering, and HID volume controls concurrently. Power consumption of 0.5 mA/MHz keeps the bus-powered device below the USB suspend current limit of 2.5 mA when the CPU idles.
Recommended
Embedded HMI with PMP Graphics
The PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML drives small TFT or OLED displays directly through its Parallel Master Port (PMP), eliminating the need for an external graphics controller IC. PMP supports 8/16-bit data width with addressable chip-select lines for typical 240x320 or 128x64 displays, and the 50 MHz core renders text, menus, and simple bitmaps at smooth refresh rates. The Peripheral Pin Select (PPS) feature lets the designer reassign PMP data lines to convenient GPIO pads, simplifying PCB routing when the QFN land assignment would otherwise force complex escape traces. Combined with mTouch capacitive touch sensing, the same chip reads both display and touch inputs.
Recommended
Capacitive Touch Keypad (mTouch)
Microchip's mTouch capacitive touch firmware library runs natively on the PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML using the on-chip 1 ns resolution timer capture module to measure charge-time variations on sense electrodes. Up to 16 touch buttons or a slider can be implemented with no external components beyond the sensor traces themselves. The 50 MHz CPU handles the periodic charge/discharge scans plus the user-interface state machine with negligible load, while the 32 KB SRAM supports debounce, gesture, and backlight control. Industrial temperature range (-40C to +85C) supports appliance, automotive interior, and industrial front-panel deployments.
Recommended
USB-to-UART / USB HID Bridge
The PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML is a compact USB-to-UART bridge solution, replacing common commercial bridge ICs with a fully programmable MCU that can implement CDC ACM, HID, or vendor-specific USB classes on the same silicon. The 128 KB Flash holds the USB stack, command parser, and any application-specific protocol, while the 32 KB SRAM sustains full-speed bulk transfer buffering. PPS allows UART, I2C, and SPI lines to be routed to any GPIO, eliminating fixed-pin constraints and simplifying PCB layout in space-constrained designs. Factory programming of the on-chip bootloader enables field firmware updates over USB.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Hub
In industrial sensor aggregation nodes, the PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML aggregates data from multiple SPI or I2C sensors (temperature, pressure, humidity) and reports over USB, UART, or CAN bridge. The 10-bit 1 Msps ADC supports direct connection to analog sensors, while the 32 KB SRAM buffers high-rate sensor bursts before USB transmission. The industrial -40C to +85C temperature rating is suitable for factory-floor enclosures without additional thermal management. mTouch plus the on-chip temperature sensor add on-board diagnostic and configuration inputs.
Recommended
Consumer Audio Accessory with HID Controls
For USB headphones, headsets, or speakerphone accessories, the PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML combines USB audio device class, I2S to codec, and HID buttons for volume/play/pause in a single chip. The Cortex-grade M4K core's single-cycle multiply speeds volume and EQ DSP, while the 32 KB SRAM supports multi-channel audio ping-pong buffers. PPS reassigns button GPIOs to any spare pads, removing PCB constraints on mechanical switch placement. Suspend-mode current of 0.5 mA/MHz and software-controlled USB bus-sense let the design meet USB suspend requirements for bus-powered accessories.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC32MX250F128D-I/ML | PIC32MX250F128DT-50I/ML | PIC32MX230F256D-50I/ML | PIC32MX170F256D-I/ML | PIC32MX150F128D-50I/ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same | 44-QFN (8x8 mm) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Maximum CPU Speed | 50 MHz (83 DMIPS) | 40 MHz (-20%) | 50 MHz (same) | 50 MHz (same) | 50 MHz (same) | 50 MHz (same) |
| Flash Memory | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 256 KB (+100%) | 256 KB (+100%) | 128 KB |
| SRAM | 32 KB | 32 KB | 32 KB | 64 KB (+100%) | 64 KB (+100%) | 32 KB |
| USB 2.0 OTG | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| PMP Graphics Port | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Operating Voltage | 2.5 V / 3.3 V | 2.5 V / 3.3 V | 2.5 V / 3.3 V | 2.5 V / 3.3 V | 2.5 V / 3.3 V | 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Approx. Unit Price @ qty 1 (USD) | 6.21 | 5.80 | 6.21 | 7.05 | 5.95 | 5.40 |
Key Differentiators
- Highest CPU speed grade in 44-QFN PIC32MX1XX/2XX family (vs PIC32MX250F128D-I/ML)
- USB OTG plus PMP in a single 44-QFN MCU (vs PIC32MX150F128D-50I/ML)
- Drop-in memory upgrade path (vs PIC32MX230F256D-50I/ML)
Design Notes
Decouple each VDD/VSS pair with a 100 nF X7R ceramic capacitor placed within 3 mm of the pin, and add a bulk 10 uF ceramic or low-ESR electrolytic on the main 3.3 V rail near the QFN. The PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML draws up to 25 mA active at 50 MHz (0.5 mA/MHz), so peak transient current during USB transactions should be considered when sizing the regulator. Use a regulator with at least 100 mA headroom to maintain regulation during USB device connect/disconnect events.
The 44-pin QFN (8x8 mm) package exposes a thermal pad (EP) on its underside that must be soldered to the PCB ground plane with at least 8 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.5 mm pitch) for proper thermal and electrical performance. While the MCU's 25 mA active current produces negligible self-heating (~0.075 W), the EP also reduces ground inductance for USB signal integrity. Skip via stitching and the USB DP/DM lines will show jitter exceeding USB 2.0 full-speed eye-mask limits.
Route the 8 MHz primary oscillator traces (OSC1/OSC2) short and symmetric, keep them away from switching power lines, and guard them with a continuous ground pour. Use PPS (Peripheral Pin Select) to remap USB D+/D- to convenient GPIO pads and shorten the USB differential pair to under 25 mm with 90-ohm differential impedance. Place the 33-ohm series termination resistors near the MCU side of the DP/DM pair to damp reflections.
Do not exceed 3.6 V on any VDD pin; the PIC32MX250F128D-50I/ML is rated 2.3V-3.6V. When migrating code between the -50I and -I speed grades, ensure the system PLL configuration does not exceed 40 MHz on the -I variant. Also note that PPS input remapping is one-way per pin - choose pin function first, then assign peripheral. The auxiliary 3 KB Flash is mapped at a fixed address and cannot be used as a contiguous extension of main Flash.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant and Pb-free per Microchip product page environmental information. Industrial temperature range -40C to +85C. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - use PIC32 variants with automotive part numbers for vehicle applications.
