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Microcontrollers - Types & Applications What Is A Microcontroller?

A microcontroller is a small, low-cost computer-on-a-chip that contains a CPU, memory, and input/output interfaces. It is used as an embedded system in many electronic devices. The document discusses the internal components of a microcontroller, including the CPU, memory, I/O ports, timers, and analog-to-digital converters. It also describes different types of microcontrollers based on bits, memory, instruction sets, and memory architecture. Popular microcontroller brands include AVR, PIC, Hitachi, and Motorola. Microcontrollers are widely used in applications like mobile phones, automobiles, appliances, cameras, and security systems.

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165 views5 pages

Microcontrollers - Types & Applications What Is A Microcontroller?

A microcontroller is a small, low-cost computer-on-a-chip that contains a CPU, memory, and input/output interfaces. It is used as an embedded system in many electronic devices. The document discusses the internal components of a microcontroller, including the CPU, memory, I/O ports, timers, and analog-to-digital converters. It also describes different types of microcontrollers based on bits, memory, instruction sets, and memory architecture. Popular microcontroller brands include AVR, PIC, Hitachi, and Motorola. Microcontrollers are widely used in applications like mobile phones, automobiles, appliances, cameras, and security systems.

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nazmul
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Microcontrollers – Types & Applications

What is a Microcontroller?

A microcontroller is a small, low-cost and self contained computer-on-a-chip that can be used as
an embedded system. A few microcontrollers may utilize four-bit expressions and work at clock
rate frequencies, which usually include:

 An 8 or 16 bit microprocessor.
 A little measure of RAM.
 Programmable ROM and flash memory.
 Parallel and serial I/O.
 Timers and signal generators.
 Analog to Digital and Digital to Analog conversion

Microcontrollers usually must have low-power requirements since many devices they control are
battery-operated. Microcontrollers are used in many consumer electronics, car engines, computer
peripherals and test or measurement equipment. And these are well suited for long lasting battery
applications. The dominant part of microcontrollers being used now a days are implanted in
other apparatus.

Microcontroller Basics(internal components):

Any electric appliance that stores, measures, displays information or calculates comprise of a
microcontroller chip inside it. The basic structure of a microcontroller comprise of:-
1. CPU – Microcontrollers brain is named as CPU. CPU is the device which is employed to
fetch data, decode it and at the end complete the assigned task successfully. With the help
of CPU all the components of microcontroller is connected into a single system.
Instruction fetched by the programmable memory is decoded by the CPU.
2. Memory – In a microcontroller memory chip works same as microprocessor. Memory
chip stores all programs & data. Microcontrollers are built with certain amount of ROM
or RAM (EPROM, EEPROM, etc) or flash memory for the storage of program source
codes.
3. Input/output ports – I/O ports are basically employed to interface or drive different
appliances such as- printers, LCD’s, LED’s, etc.
4. Serial Ports – These ports give serial interfaces amid microcontroller & various other
peripherals such as parallel port.
5. Timers – A microcontroller may be in-built with one or more timer or counters. The
timers & counters control all counting & timing operations within a microcontroller.
Timers are employed to count external pulses. The main operations performed by timers’
are- pulse generations, clock functions, frequency measuring, modulations, making
oscillations, etc.
6. ADC (Analog to digital converter) – ADC is employed to convert analog signals to
digital ones. The input signals need to be analog for ADC. The digital signal production
can be employed for different digital applications (such as- measurement gadgets).
7. DAC (digital to analog converter) – this converter executes opposite functions that ADC
perform. This device is generally employed to supervise analog appliances like- DC
motors, etc.
8. Interpret Control- This controller is employed for giving delayed control for a working
program. The interpret can be internal or external.
9. Special Functioning Block – Some special microcontrollers manufactured for special
appliances like- space systems, robots, etc, comprise of this special function block. This
special block has additional ports so as to carry out some special operations.

Types of Microcontroller:

Microcontrollers are divided into categories according to their memory, architecture, bits and
instruction sets. So let’s discuss types of microcontrollers:-

Bits:

 8 bits microcontroller executes logic & arithmetic operations. Examples of 8 bits micro
controller is Intel 8031/8051.
 16 bits microcontroller executes with greater accuracy and performance in contrast to 8-
bit. Example of 16 bit microcontroller is Intel 8096.
 32 bits microcontroller is employed mainly in automatically controlled appliances such as
office machines, implantable medical appliances, etc. It requires 32-bit instructions to
carry out any logical or arithmetic function.
Memory:

 External Memory Microcontroller – When an embedded structure is built with a


microcontroller which does not comprise of all the functioning blocks existing on a chip
it is named as external memory microcontroller. For illustration- 8031 microcontroller
does not have program memory on the chip.
 Embedded Memory Microcontroller – When an embedded structure is built with a
microcontroller which comprise of all the functioning blocks existing on a chip it is
named as embedded memory microcontroller. For illustration- 8051 microcontroller has
all program & data memory, counters & timers, interrupts, I/O ports and therefore its
embedded memory microcontroller.

Instruction Set:

 CISC- CISC means complex instruction set computer, it allows the user to apply 1
instruction as an alternative to many simple instructions.
 RISC- RISC means Reduced Instruction Set Computers. RISC reduces the operation time
by shortening the clock cycle per instruction.

Memory Architecture:

 Harvard Memory Architecture Microcontroller


 Princeton Memory Architecture Microcontroller

Types of Microcontroller on the basis of Service Provider or vendor:

1) AVR: AVR microcontroller is developed by Atmel service provider, AVR architecture is


based on the Harvard architecture. It is based on Reduced Instruction Set Computers(RISC).
AVR is not an acronym it is just a name given to the RISC architecture based microcontroller.

2) PIC: PIC microcontroller is also a Harvard architecture based controller. PIC is an acronym
stands for "Peripheral Interface Controller". This type of microcontroller supports programming
in C, Assembly and BASIC C.

3) Hitachi: Hitachi microcontroller belongs to H8 family of the controller. H8 is name used in


large family of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit microcontroller developed by Renesas Technology,
founded in an early 1990s within Hitachi semiconductors.

4) Motorola: Motorola microcontroller is highly integrated microcontroller that is used for high-
performance data manipulation operation. This microcontroller unit uses a System Integration
Module (SIM), Time Processing Unit (TPU) and Queued Serial Module(QSM).
5 Applications of Microcontrollers

Microcontroller has many applications electronic equipment’s

 Mobile Phones
 Auto Mobiles
 Washing Machines
 Cameras
 Security Alarms

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