Microcontrollers
● For a microprocessor to give a system which
can be used for control,additional chips are
necessary, e.g. memory devices for program
and data storage and input/output ports to allow
it to communicate with the external world and
receive signals from it.
● The microcontroller is the integration of a
microprocessor with memory and input/output
interfaces, and other peripherals such as timers,
on a single chip.
Microprocessor vs. Microcontroller
Microprocessor Microcontroller
● CPU is stand-alone, RAM, ● CPU, RAM, ROM, I/O and
ROM, I/O, timer are separate timer are all on a single chip
● Designer can decide on the ● fixed amount of on-chip
amount of ROM, RAM and ROM, RAM, I/O ports
I/O ports. ● For applications in which
● For applications with high cost, power and space are
processing of data critical
● General-purpose ● Single-purpose
● High processing power (control-oriented)
● High power consumption ● Low processing power
● Instruction sets focus on ● Low power consumption
processing-intensive ● Instruction sets focus on
operations control and bit-level
● Typically 32/64 – bit operations
● Expensive ● Typically 8/16 bit
● Bit-level operations
Microprocessor
•CPU for Computers
•Commonly no RAM, ROM, I/O on CPU chip itself
•Examples：Intel 8085, Pentium, Core2Duo, i3, i5,i7,i10
Microcontroller
•A single-chip computer
•On-chip RAM, ROM, I/O ports...
•Example：Motorola’s 6811, Intel’s 8051, Zilog’s Z8 and PIC 16X
● The Motorola 68HC11, the Intel 8051 and the
PIC16C6x/7x are examples of 8-bit
microcontrollers in that the data path is 8 bits
wide.
● The Motorola 68HC16 is an example of a
16-bit microcontroller and the Motorola 68300
a 32-bit microcontroller.
● Microcontrollers have limited amounts of ROM
and RAM and are widely used for embedded
control systems
Applications
Home
Appliances, intercom, telephones, security systems, garage door openers,
answering machines, fax machines, TVs, cable TV tuner, VCR, camcorder, remote
controls, video games, cellular phones, musical instruments, sewing machines,
lighting control, paging, camera, pinball machines, toys, exercise equipment.
Office
Telephones, security systems, fax machines, microwave, copier, laser printer,
color printer, paging.
Auto
Navigation system, engine control, air bag, ABS, instrumentation, security
system, transmission control, entertainment, climate control, cellular phone,
keyless entry.
Microcontroller Microprocessor
The microcontroller is the heart of The microprocessor is the heart
an embedded system. of a Computer system.
The microcontroller has an It is just a processor. Memory and
external processor along with I/O components have to be
internal memory and i/O connected externally
components
Since memory and I/0 are present Since memory and I/O have to be
internally, the circuit is small. connected externally, the circuit
becomes large.
Microcontroller Microprocessor
Can be used in compact systems and Cannot be used in compact
hence it is an efficient technique systems and hence inefficient
The cost of the entire system is low Cost of the entire system
increases
Since external components are low, Due to external components,
total power consumption is less and the entire power consumption
can be used with devices running on is high. Hence it is not suitable
stored power like batteries. to use with devices running on
stored power like batteries.
Microcontroller Microprocessor
Most microcontrollers have Most microprocessors do not
power-saving modes like idle have power-saving features.
mode and power-saving mode.
This helps to reduce power
consumption even further.
Since components are internal, Since memory and I/O
most of the operations are components are all external, each
internal instruction, hence speed instruction will need an external
is fast. operation, hence it is relatively
slower.
Microcontroller Microprocessor
Microcontrollers have more Microprocessors have less
registers, hence the programs are number of registers, hence more
easier to write. operations are memory based
Microcontrollers are based on Microprocessors are based on the
Harvard architecture where von Neumann model/architecture
program memory and Data where programs and data are
memory are separate stored in the same memory
module
Used mainly in washing machines, Mainly used in personal
MP3 players computers
