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Microchip recently announced the PIC16F17576 microcontroller (MCU) family for low-power battery-operated applications. The PIC16F17576 joins Microchip’s growing array of 8-bit MCUs for a wide variety of potential applications ranging from automotive to industrial.
The PIC16F17576 is intended to be a low-power MCU for battery-operated applications.
Key Advancements for Battery-Operated Applications
The PIC16F17556/76 (datasheet linked) are 8-bit microcontrollers based on Microchip’s enhanced 8-bit, mid-range CPU core, with up to 28 KB of Flash and 2 KB of RAM. The devices integrate a 12-bit ADC with computation, multiple PWM modules, op amps, and DACs to support mixed-signal control applications.
They include several low-power modes— sleep, idle, and doze —and operate across a voltage range of 1.8 V to 5.5 V. Features such as peripheral module disable, internal oscillators, and interrupt-based wake-up mechanisms are intended to reduce both active and standby power consumption. The microcontrollers also include onboard comparators and an internal voltage reference that can be routed to other analog peripherals. This enables analog signal monitoring and threshold detection without requiring constant CPU involvement.
Analog Peripheral Manager (APM) technology actively manages analog MCU peripherals.
An Analog Peripheral Manager organizes control across the op amps, DACs, and comparators, enabling internal connectivity between analog modules and independent power control of each block. Microchip claims this feature significantly decreases overall power consumption.
This MCU family introduces analog peripherals that can perform operations such as filtering, averaging, and threshold comparison in hardware. By integrating analog functionality onto the MCU itself, Microchip reduced the overall board and system complexity.
Use cases for the PIC16F17556 may include offline and isolated power supplies, lighting systems, and compact motor controllers. The inclusion of op amps, comparators, and a hardware-driven ADC enables local signal conditioning and threshold detection without constant CPU supervision. These features position the devices for roles in systems that require real-time analog monitoring, especially where power or board space is limited.
PIC MCUs Fit Into Microchip’s Diverse MCU Portfolio
Microchip's PIC architecture emphasizes simplicity, low power, and a compact instruction set, making it suitable for tasks ranging from basic control to moderately complex signal processing. Over time, the family has expanded to include enhanced mid-range and advanced core options that integrate peripherals such as ADCs, comparators, op amps, and various forms of digital communication.
Block diagram of the PIC16F17556/76.
Microchip’s broader microcontroller portfolio also includes the AVR family and the 32-bit SAM line , based on the Arm Cortex-M architecture. Across its product lines, Microchip emphasizes long-term availability and extensive peripheral integration to reduce the need for external components in embedded designs.
PIC16F17576 MCUs are available now, with support from Microchip's unified toolchain, including MPLAB X IDE , code configurators, and debugging hardware. These tools allow users to manage the APM and analog peripherals. The MCUs are also compatible with the company's MPLAB PICkit development tools and Curiosity Nano EV14L29A development board .
