PCF85263A
Epson alternative: RX8130CE
The PCF85263A is the current low-current type in NXP's range and it looks good on paper. The point the datasheet makes quietly is that the crystal is not part of it. The comparison covers the PCF85363A with its larger RAM as well.
The PCF85263A has an on-chip oscillator with integrated capacitors, but the 32.768 kHz quartz crystal itself is external.
PCF85263A versus RX8130CE
| PCF85263A — NXP | RX8130CE — Epson | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | NXP | Epson (Seiko Epson) |
| Interface | I²C (400 kHz) | I²C (400 kHz) |
| Crystal integrated | no — external 32.768 kHz crystal required | yes, factory calibrated |
| Accuracy | not temperature compensated · ±1 ppm reachable by offset calibration | +5 ±23 ppm at +25 °C (not compensated) |
| Timekeeping current | 0.28 µA typ. at 3 V and +25 °C | 300 nA typ. · 500 nA max. |
| Supply | clock from 0.9 V · I²C from 1.8 to 5.5 V | 1.25 – 5.5 V |
| Max. temperature | −40 … +85 °C | −40 … +85 °C |
| Package | SO8 · TSSOP8 · TSSOP10 · DFN2626-10 2.6 × 2.6 mm · WLCSP12 1.19 × 0.94 mm | CE 3.2 × 2.5 × 1.0 mm · 8.0 mm² footprint |
| Extras | one free RAM byte, alarms, timers | reset output with delay, charge control with full-charge detection, V_IO pin |
What speaks for and against the change
We sell Epson — and we still say where the competitor is better. You would notice it at the first datasheet comparison anyway.
Honestly
- The clock runs from 0.9 V — lower than the RX8130CE and useful at the end of a cell's life
- The DFN2626 at 2.6 × 2.6 mm and the WLCSP12 are smaller than Epson's CE package
- 0.28 µA is a good figure for a part in this class
The difference
- The crystal is not included. A 32.768 kHz crystal plus load capacitance matching plus two capacitors plus the layout risk of the oscillator loop go on top — and the small DFN advantage is gone once the crystal sits beside it
- ±1 ppm is what the offset calibration can resolve at one temperature. It is not compensation across the range. Neither part is compensated, but Epson has the answer in the same programme: the RX8901CE at ±3.0 ppm across −40 to +85 °C
- Reset output with a selectable delay, charge control with full-charge detection and a separate V_IO pin
- Count the whole assembly, not the device: one module against a device, a crystal, two capacitors, the placement and the test effort
Frequently asked questions
What is the Epson alternative to the PCF85263A?
The RX8130CE is the closest match on function and current, with the RX8901CE where the clock has to stay accurate over temperature. Neither is a drop-in: package, pinout and register map differ.
Does the PCF85263A need an external crystal?
Yes. It has an on-chip oscillator with integrated capacitors, but the 32.768 kHz crystal itself is external, and the accuracy then depends on that crystal and on how well its load capacitance is matched. The Epson modules carry the calibrated crystal inside the package.
Is the PCF85263A accurate to ±1 ppm?
That figure describes what the offset calibration can resolve at a given temperature, not accuracy across the operating range — the part is not temperature compensated. Where accuracy over temperature matters, Epson's DTCXO types hold ±3.0 to ±3.4 ppm across −40 to +85 °C.
Who supplies an alternative to the PCF85263A in Europe?
Timing Devices Europe in Ladenburg near Heidelberg, Germany stocks the complete Epson RTC programme in its own warehouse — physically on site, not at the manufacturer. Samples, comparison and series demand in one go, answered the same working day.
Samples and a comparison for the PCF85263A.
Tell us which version you use today, together with quantity and date. We will put together the Epson equivalent with its datasheet and the migration effort — from our own warehouse in Ladenburg near Heidelberg, Germany.