The PIC16F15385 is the 48-pin flagship of the PIC16F153 group, pairing 14 KB of flash and 1 KB of SRAM with a 43-channel 10-bit ADC and the full set of Core Independent Peripherals. Its large pin count suits dense control boards where many signals meet the microcontroller. When that code is protected, our readout secured PIC16F15385 code service recovers the firmware from hardware you own without erasing the original.

The protection model on a 48-pin part

Protection is held in the configuration words exactly as on the smaller members of the family. Once code protection is enabled, external tools cannot read the flash, and Microchip’s documentation notes that clearing it requires a bulk erase. A competent readout secured PIC16F15385 code recovery avoids that path entirely by reading the array while the data is still present, so the owner keeps the confirmed-good firmware rather than losing it to an erase.

Handling the bigger package

The 48-pin body needs careful board handling, but the recovery logic is unchanged: confirm the package, power within 1.8 to 5.5 V, and use ICSP to inspect the configuration space before any read is attempted. The same caution that protects the decrypt locked PIC16F15376 program work applies here, scaled only by the physical size of the part, and the unlock protected PIC16F15356 microcontroller process uses the same archive format so mixed fleets stay consistent.

Capture and verification

The 14 KB image is read in a controlled pass and the configuration words are recorded, then a checksum proves the binary matches the silicon. Because the peripheral set is rich, we also note the configuration of the CLC, NCO and CWG blocks where that matters for reconstruction. The decode microcontroller PIC16F1454 flash code reference covers nearby family behaviour, and our how the MCU memory works guide explains the underlying array organisation that makes a non-destructive read possible.

Why a 48-pin lock is awkward

Dense boards rarely leave an easy programming header, and the 43-channel ADC suggests many analogue front-ends hanging off the part. Those designs are hard to rebuild from scratch, which is why a non-destructive read is worth doing properly. The semiconductor chip hardware security overview explains why read protection exists and how it is structured at the silicon level, which informs the careful sequence we use.

Dense-board handling and headers

The 48-pin layout rarely leaves a convenient programming header, and the board around it often shares signals between the microcontroller and surrounding analogue parts. We document the connection points we used and the voltage conditions we held during the read, so a second recovery later would follow the same safe path. For boards where the part sits under a shield or beside heat-sensitive components, the read is staged to avoid stressing neighbouring devices. That care is part of why the original survives the operation intact, and it is also why the verification report we hand back includes the exact setup we used, so your own technicians can repeat the process if a future board arrives in the same condition.

What the recovery report records

Because the PIC16F15385 integrates NCO, CWG and four CLC blocks, a raw flash read is only half the story. Our report lists the peripheral configurations observed in the special function registers, the ADC channel assignments we identified, and the protect state the device was found in. That detail matters to the engineer who inherits the design, since the glue logic between peripherals is rarely written down anywhere else. With the report in hand, a new team can see at a glance what the silicon was doing, instead of rediscovering it pin by pin on the bench.

Background and compliance

Practical recovery is part of our MCU flash EEPROM data cloning capability, which covers the whole Enhanced Mid-Range range including the 48-pin devices. We only work on units you own or are entitled to service, and we keep a record of that right, returning a verification report with the result so the work is both correct and defensible.

Next step

Send the locked PIC16F15385 and we will confirm the package, quote a fixed fee, and return the code with integrity proof. The image can then be replicated on demand through the same cloning pipeline we run for every supported Microchip part.