Re: [PIC] Looking for low-cost alternative to PIC10F322

At 04:18 PM 2025-04-21, you wrote:
>Good day to all.
>
>I've done a project using the PIC10F322 which is now going to 
>limited production.  The problem is that PIC is now more expensive 
>than I would like.  Mouser has them for Can $1.08 in 
>hundreds.  Digikey will sell me a full reel of 3000 for Can $1.08 each.
>
>This project is brain-dead simple.  I currently need only three I/O 
>lines but I do require persistent storage.  Although the PIC10F32x 
>family doesn't have EEPROM, it does have some high-endurance 
>flash.  I need only a single byte for this project.  I am using the 
>SOT-23-6 package.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>I would prefer to stay with Microchip just because the tools are so 
>familiar to me.  But I am willing to look elsewhere.
>
>Suggestions gratefully accepted!
>
>Many thanks!
>
>dwayne

Hi, Dwayne:-

I don't know if you'd want to get into this kind of thing, but Taiwan 
and mainland Chinese companies such as Fremont Micro
and Origin make PIC clone-like products that are very inexpensive.

The lowest cost ones are OTP, but there are flash models.

For example Fremont FT60F011A has 1k x 14 flash, 64 bytes of RAM, 256 
bytes of EEPROM and is characterized from
2V to 5.5V supply.

2,000 of them from LCSC is about $110 US. That's in SOP-8 but they're 
available in SOT23-6 too. Their programmer
is another US $65 or so. I have seen some discussion on Dave Jones' EEVBLOG.

Downsides are that the datasheets are in Chinese only for the low end 
devices.. and probably support is spotty.
They are not pin-compatible, and the SOT23 does not expose MCLR. 
Reportedly they scramble the op codes compared
to Microchip in order to avoid copyright infringement claims, but the 
instruction set looks very similar.

https://www.lcsc.com/datasheet/lcsc_datasheet_2409280032_FMD-Fremont-Micro-Devices-FT60F011A-RB_C708769.pdf

Sample code: https://www.fremontmicro.com/en/#/support/6

No actual experience with these manufacturers, but I've had good 
experiences with WCH (8051 and RISC-V).

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany