PIC16C620-04/SS - 8-Bit CMOS MCU, 4MHz, 896B OTP, SSOP-20 | Microchip
MPN: PIC16C620-04/SS ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.05 | $4.05 |
| 10 | $3.62 | $36.20 |
| 100 | $2.96 | $296.00 |
| 500 | $2.55 | $1,275.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.2 | $2,200.00 |
PIC16C620-04/SS Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer that integrates a CPU, RAM, non-volatile program memory, and I/O peripherals. Within the broader taxonomy, the PIC16C620 belongs to the EPROM-based sub-family of Microchip's mid-range PIC architecture, sitting between the baseline 12-bit core and the enhanced 14-bit core, and forms part of the legacy PIC16C5x/PIC16C6x/7x product tree. OTP (One-Time-Programmable) EPROM cells are used in place of flash, providing a cost-optimized solution for high-volume mature designs that are already past their development phase.
Key features of the PIC16C620-04/SS include two analog comparators with programmable reference, a 5-channel 8-bit A/D converter (PIC16C620 variant), capture/compare/PWM modules, and a wide operating voltage range of 3.0 V to 6.0 V. The fully static CMOS design enables low power consumption (15 µA typical at 5 V/4 MHz and 1 µA typical at 3 V/32 kHz) and supports commercial (0°C to +70°C) and industrial (-40°C to +85°C) temperature grades. A built-in power-on reset, watchdog timer, and brown-out detection enhance system reliability in industrial and appliance applications.
Typical applications include white goods and appliance control, motor control interfaces, low-end security systems, simple sensor signal conditioning, lighting ballasts, automotive body electronics, and battery-powered embedded systems. The PIC16C620-04/SS is also widely used as a cost-down replacement for PIC16C5x designs and in educational/training kits due to its mature toolchain support through MPLAB IDE and PICSTART Plus programmers.
When designing with the PIC16C620-04/SS, note that OTP memory requires windowed or one-time programming, so this part is best suited for mature production designs rather than iterative development. Designers transitioning from the PIC16C620 to the PIC16F628 should evaluate pin compatibility and verify that comparator and timer peripheral mappings match exactly.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16C620-04/SS — 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 PIC16C620-04/SS (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Program Memory Size, Package, RAM Size, Timers, Program Memory Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16C620A-04/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C620-04I/SS
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.63 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16C620T-04/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F628-04/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16F648A-I/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C620-04E/SS
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16C620-04/SS Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | 8-bit PIC mid-range (14-bit instruction word) |
| Family | PIC® 16C |
| Program Memory Type | OTP EPROM |
| Program Memory Size | 896 B (512 x 14 words) |
| Data RAM | 80 B |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 4 MHz |
| Operating Voltage Range | 3.0 V to 6.0 V |
| Number of I/O Pins | 13 |
| Number of Pins | 20 |
| Package / Case | 20-SSOP (0.209 inch / 5.30 mm body width) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (Gull Wing) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0°C to +70°C) |
| Supply Current @ 5V/4MHz | 15 µA typical |
| Supply Current @ 3V/32kHz | 1 µA typical |
| Peripherals | 2 analog comparators, watchdog timer, power-on reset, brown-out reset |
| RoHS Status | Non-Compliant (contains lead, OTP windowed legacy part) |
PIC16C620-04/SS Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RA2/AN2 — Port A bit 2 / analog input 2 / analog comparator output |
| Pin 2 | RA3/AN3 — Port A bit 3 / analog input 3 / VREF+ input |
| Pin 3 | RA4/T0CKI — Port A bit 4 / Timer 0 clock input (open-drain) |
| Pin 4 | RA5/SS — Port A bit 5 / slave select input / AN4 |
| Pin 5 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 6 | RB0/INT — Port B bit 0 / external interrupt input |
| Pin 7 | RB1 — Port B bit 1 |
| Pin 8 | RB2 — Port B bit 2 |
| Pin 9 | RB3 — Port B bit 3 |
| Pin 10 | RB4 — Port B bit 4 |
| Pin 11 | RB5 — Port B bit 5 |
| Pin 12 | RB6 — Port B bit 6 |
| Pin 13 | RB7 — Port B bit 7 |
| Pin 14 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (3.0V to 6.0V) |
| Pin 15 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Oscillator crystal output / clock out |
| Pin 16 | OSC1/CLKIN — Oscillator crystal input / external clock input |
| Pin 17 | RA0/AN0 — Port A bit 0 / analog input 0 |
| Pin 18 | RA1/AN1 — Port A bit 1 / analog input 1 |
| Pin 19 | MCLR/VPP — Master clear reset / programming voltage input |
| Pin 20 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
Typical Applications
PIC16C620-04/SS is suitable for 7 applications: White Goods and Appliance Control, Low-End Security and Alarm Systems, Lighting Ballast and LED Driver Control, Automotive Body Electronics, Industrial Sensor Signal Conditioning, Battery-Powered Consumer Electronics, Educational and Training Platforms.
White Goods and Appliance Control
The PIC16C620-04/SS is well suited for white goods and appliance control boards including washing machines, microwave ovens, and refrigerators. Its 896 B OTP program memory holds the fixed control firmware, 13 I/O pins interface with relays, keypads, and seven-segment displays, and 2 analog comparators detect line-voltage zero-crossings or sensor thresholds. Low 15 µA typical current at 5 V/4 MHz keeps standby power compliant with Energy Star standby limits, while the wide 3.0 V to 6.0 V supply range tolerates unregulated wall-adapter rails common in appliance designs. The mature toolchain and proven field reliability in millions of deployed units make the PIC16C620-04/SS a low-risk choice for high-volume mature appliance production.
Recommended
Low-End Security and Alarm Systems
In PIR motion detectors, door/window contact interfaces, and small alarm panels, the PIC16C620-04/SS provides the central processing element with deterministic response and low standby current. The two on-chip analog comparators directly interface with PIR sensor signals and battery-voltage monitoring without external op-amps, reducing the BOM by 2-3 components. The watchdog timer and brown-out reset ensure the alarm recovers correctly after power glitches, while the OTP memory prevents firmware reverse engineering. Operating from 3 V battery rails at 1 µA typical current in sleep mode, the PIC16C620-04/SS supports multi-year battery life in wireless security sensors.
Recommended
Lighting Ballast and LED Driver Control
Electronic ballasts and dimmable LED drivers use the PIC16C620-04/SS to implement dimming curves, power-factor correction, and lamp-life monitoring. The 4 MHz instruction cycle supports the timing resolution required for triac dimming phase-angle detection and PFC loop control. Two analog comparators sense current and voltage across the switching transistor, while the 13 I/O pins drive MOSFET gate drivers, optocouplers, and user-interface inputs. With 80 B of RAM the MCU handles state machines and dimmer look-up tables, and OTP memory secures proprietary ballast algorithms from duplication by competitors in the lighting market.
Recommended
Automotive Body Electronics
Inside body controllers for seat adjusters, mirror controls, HVAC blend doors, and interior lighting, the PIC16C620-04/SS handles switch scanning, motor PWM, and LIN-bus emulation through bit-banged I/O. The wide 3.0 V to 6.0 V supply range covers load-dump and cold-crank transients typical of 12 V automotive rails, and the brown-out reset prevents MCU lockup during cranking. Although the PIC16C620-04/SS is not AEC-Q100 qualified, it has been used for decades in non-safety automotive body modules. For new designs Microchip recommends the AEC-Q100 qualified PIC16F628-I/SS in the same SSOP-20 footprint.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Signal Conditioning
In process-control and factory-automation modules, the PIC16C620-04/SS performs sensor linearization, calibration, and 4-20 mA loop driving through PWM-filter techniques. The two analog comparators implement window-discriminator functions for thermocouple and RTD inputs, while the 13 I/O pins drive LEDs, keypads, and isolated digital outputs. The 3.0 V to 6.0 V supply range accepts 24 V industrial rails after local regulation, and the industrial-temperature PIC16C620-04I/SS variant extends operation from -40°C to +85°C for factory-floor deployments. OTP memory locks the calibration coefficients in place, eliminating field-reprogramming risk.
Recommended
Battery-Powered Consumer Electronics
Battery-powered toys, remote controls, small kitchen appliances, and personal-care devices benefit from the PIC16C620-04/SS's 1 µA sleep current and 15 µA active current. The fully static CMOS design allows clock stretching down to DC for ultra-low-power operation, and 80 B of RAM is ample for state-machine firmware in remote-control products. The 2 analog comparators detect battery voltage and user-button presses without external components, and OTP memory secures the firmware against copying. The SSOP-20 surface-mount package suits high-density consumer PCB layouts with limited height clearance.
Recommended
Educational and Training Platforms
The PIC16C620-04/SS has been a long-standing teaching tool in universities and embedded-systems training courses because of its simple PIC mid-range architecture and the freely available MPLAB IDE and PICSTART Plus programmer. Students learn assembly-language programming, I/O control, and timer/counter concepts on a part with only 35 instructions and 896 B of program memory. The PIC16C620-04/SS's predictable instruction timing (4 clock cycles per instruction at 4 MHz = 1 µs per instruction) makes timing calculations easy to teach, and the SSOP-20 package is breadboard-friendly with SSOP-to-DIP adapter boards commonly available from training kit suppliers.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16C620-04/SS — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16C620A-04/SS | PIC16C620-04I/SS | PIC16C620T-04/SS | PIC16F628-04/SS | PIC16F648A-I/SS | PIC16C620-04E/SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 20-SSOP (0.209 inch, 5.30 mm) | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same | 20-SSOP - same |
| Program Memory | 896 B OTP EPROM | 896 B OTP EPROM | 896 B OTP EPROM | 896 B OTP EPROM | 2 KB Flash | 4 KB Flash | 896 B OTP EPROM |
| Data RAM | 80 B | 80 B | 80 B | 80 B | 224 B | 256 B | 80 B |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz (5 MHz -04 suffix; up to 20 MHz -I) | 20 MHz | 4 MHz |
| Operating Voltage Range | 3.0 V to 6.0 V | 3.0 V to 6.0 V | 3.0 V to 6.0 V | 3.0 V to 6.0 V | 3.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 3.0 V to 6.0 V |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial 0C to +70C | Commercial 0C to +70C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +70C | Commercial 0C to +70C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Extended -40C to +125C |
| Number of I/O Pins | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
| Memory Type | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | OTP EPROM | Flash | Flash | OTP EPROM |
Key Differentiators
- Direct flash-based migration path in the same 20-SSOP footprint (vs PIC16F628-04/SS)
- Broader temperature range for industrial environments (vs PIC16C620-04I/SS)
- Significantly larger memory and USART peripheral (vs PIC16F648A-I/SS)
Design Notes
The PIC16C620-04/SS draws 15 µA typical at 5 V/4 MHz and 1 µA typical at 3 V/32 kHz. Estimated: at 5 V/4 MHz with 50% sleep duty cycle, average current is approximately 8 µA, so a CR2032 coin cell (220 mAh) supports more than 3 years of standby. Decouple VDD with a 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the VDD pin, and add a 10 µF bulk capacitor if the supply is shared with relay or motor loads. The wide 3.0 V to 6.0 V range tolerates unregulated wall-adapter rails; use a low-Iq LDO such as MCP1700 if the supply can exceed 6 V.
Do not use the PIC16C620-04/SS for prototypes or designs that require firmware revisions, because the OTP EPROM memory can be programmed exactly once and cannot be erased. Migrate early-development work to the PIC16F628-I/SS in the same 20-SSOP footprint, and qualify the firmware before committing to PIC16C620-04/SS production. Also note the MCLR/VPP pin must be pulled high through a 10 kΩ resistor and a 100 nF capacitor for proper reset; do not leave MCLR floating.
The 20-SSOP package has 0.65 mm lead pitch, so PCB land patterns must comply with IPC-7351 SSOP-20 nominal density (pad width approximately 0.40 mm, pad length approximately 1.0 mm). Keep the oscillator traces (OSC1/OSC2) shorter than 10 mm and guard them with a ground plane to reduce EMI pickup. Place the VDD decoupling capacitor and MCLR pull-up network as close as possible to the corresponding pins to minimize supply-noise coupling into the analog comparators.
Compliance Information
PIC16C620-04/SS contains lead in the SSOP package finish and is therefore not RoHS compliant. The part is not AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive applications use the PIC16F628-I/SS-Q1 or similar AEC-Q100 qualified variant. REACH compliance is based on standard Microchip declarations; halogen-free status is not specified for the legacy PIC16C family.
