Introduction- Microcontroller

Vs Microcomputer
Lecture 1
At the end of the lecture the student should be
able to:
Identify the different components of a general
microcomputer, microprocessor and
microcontroller
Compare the characteristics of a
microprocessor from a microcontroller
To understand the different memory options
available for a microcontroller.
 Microprocessors and microcontrollers drive
digital systems.
Microcontrollers are embedded in some
products that we find useful today.
We will examine the different characteristics
of these two.
 Bit: A bit is a single binary digit.
Word: A word refers to the basic data size or
bit size that can be processed by the
arithmetic and logic unit of the processor. A
16-bit binary number is called a word in a
16-bit processor.
Bus: A bus is a group of wires/lines that carry
similar information.
System Bus: The system bus is a group of
wires/lines used for communication between
the microprocessor and peripherals.
 Memory Word: The number of bits that can be
stored in a register or memory element is
called a memory word.
Address Bus: It carries the address, which is a
unique binary pattern used to identify a
memory location or an I/O port. For example,
an eight bit address bus has eight lines and
thus it can address 28 = 256 different
locations. The locations in hexadecimal
format can be written as 00H FFH.
 Data Bus: The data bus is used to transfer data
between memory and processor or between I/O
device and processor. For example, an 8-bit
processor will generally have an 8-bit data bus
and a 16-bit processor will have 16-bit data bus.
Control Bus: The control bus carry control
signals, which consists of signals for selection of
memory or I/O device from the given address,
direction of data transfer and synchronization of
data transfer in case of slow devices.
 Instruction Set: It is the set of instructions that
the microprocessor can understand.
Bandwidth: It is the number of bits processed in a
single instruction
Clock Speed: It determines the number of
operations per second the processor can
perform. It is expressed in megahertz (MHz) or
gigahertz (GHz).It is also known as Clock Rate.
Data Types: The microprocessor has multiple
data type formats like binary, BCD, ASCII, signed
and unsigned numbers.
 A microprocessor is a programmable electronics chip
that has computing and decision making capabilities
similar to central processing unit of a computer.
Microprocessor is an integrated circuit that stores
and manipulates information as dictated by a set of
instructions.
A device that integrates a number of useful functions
into a single IC package
The microprocessor is general-purpose device and
additional external circuitry is added to make it
microcomputer.
For example, Intel 8085 is 8-bit microprocessor and
Intel 8086/8088 is 16-bit microprocessor
Corei7 is it
8bit, 16bit,
32bit, 64bit,
128bit?
 Functions of a microprocessor
Ability to execute a stored set of instructions to
carry out user defined tasks.
Ability to access external memory chips to
read/write data from/to memory.
Ability to interface with I/O devices
In micro-computers, one or more
microprocessors serve as the central
processing unit (CPU), whereas
microcontrollers coordinate all the functions
of digital control devices.
 The performance of microprocessors is
determined by:
Bandwidth (number of bits processed in a single
instruction),
Instruction set (set of instructions that can be
executed) and
Clock speed (number of executed-instructions
per second)
 CPU: Central Processing Unit
I/O: Input /Output
Bus: Address bus, Data bus and control bus
Memory: RAM & ROM
Timer
Interrupt
Serial Port
Parallel Port
 The semiconductor manufacturing
technologies used for chips are:
Transistor-Transistor Logic (TTL)
Emitter Coupled Logic (ECL)
Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor
(CMOS)
 Based on their specification, application and
architecture microprocessors are classified.
Based on size of data bus:
4-bit microprocessor
8-bit microprocessor
16-bit microprocessor
32-bit microprocessor
64- bit microprocessor
 Based on application:
General-purpose microprocessor- used in general
computer system and can be used by programmer
for any application. Examples, 8085 to Intel
Pentium.
Microcontroller- microprocessor with built-in
memory and ports and can be programmed for any
generic control application. Example, 8051.
Special-purpose processors- designed to handle
special functions required for an application.
Examples, digital signal processors and
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips.
 Based on architecture:
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)
processors
Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC)
processors
Special processors
 Designed to reduce the execution time by simplifying
the instruction set of the computer.
Using RISC processors, each instruction requires only
one clock cycle to execute results in uniform
execution time.
This reduces the efficiency as there are more lines of
code, hence more RAM is needed to store the
instructions.
The compiler also has to work more to convert high-
level language instructions into machine code.
Some of the RISC processors are:
Power PC: 601, 604, 615, 620
DEC Alpha: 210642, 211066, 21068, 21164
MIPS: TS (R10000) RISC Processor
PA-RISC: HP 7100LC
 designed to minimize the number of instructions
per program, ignoring the number of cycles per
instruction.
The emphasis is on building complex
instructions directly into the hardware.
The compiler has to do very little work to
translate a high-level language into assembly
level language/machine code because the length
of the code is relatively short, so very little RAM
is required to store the instructions.
Some of the CISC Processors are:
IBM 370/168
VAX 11/780
Intel 80486
 These are the processors which are designed
for some special purposes.
A Coprocessor is a specially designed
microprocessor, which can handle its particular
function many times faster than the ordinary
microprocessor.
For example: Math Coprocessor. Some Intel math-
coprocessors are:
8087-used with 8086
0287-used with 80286
80387-used with 80386
 Input/Output Processor specially designed
microprocessor having a local memory of its
own, which is used to control I/O devices with
minimum CPU involvement.
For example:
DMA (direct Memory Access) controller
Keyboard/mouse controller
Graphic display controller
SCSI port controller
 Transputer (Transistor Computer) a specially designed
microprocessor with its own local memory and having
links to connect one transputer to another transputer for
inter-processor communications.
It was first designed in 1980 by Inmos and is targeted to
the utilization of VLSI technology.
A transputer can be used as a single processor system or
can be connected to external links, which reduces the
construction cost and increases the performance.
Intended for parallel computing
For example:
16-bit T212, T222, T225
32-bit without floating point unit T400, T414, T425, T426
32 bit with floating point (T800, T802, T805 & T9000) processors.
 A Microcomputer is a complete computer
system comprising at least three major
components:
The microprocessor (CPU),
Memory and
I/O peripheral components;
A microcomputer could be a general purpose
computer (like a PC) or a dedicated system
designed to fulfill a special task (for example
a controller system inside an instrument,
microcontroller).
Desktop Computer Basic Internal Structure
 Basically, a device which integrates a number
of the components of a microprocessor
system onto a single chip. Only need to be
supplied power and clocking
For example, Intel 8051 is 8-bit
microcontroller and Intel 8096 is 16-bit
microcontroller. Motorola uses basic 6800
microprocessor core in M68HC11
microcontroller devices
 The CPU core
I/O (input/output)
Memory (PROM/EPROM/EEPROM/Flash
memory /
Variable RAM memory )
Bus: Address bus, Data bus and control bus
Timer
Interrupt
Serial Port
Parallel Port
 A Timer module to allow the microcontroller to
perform tasks for certain time periods.
Serial I/O (UART) for data flow between
microcontroller and devices such as a PC or other
microcontroller.
Analog input and output (e.g., to receive data
from sensors or control motors)
Interrupt capability (from a variety of sources)
Bus/external memory interfaces (for RAM or
ROM)
Built-in monitor/debugger program
Support for external peripherals (e.g., I/O and
bus extenders)
 Microcontrollers used in a wide number of
electronic systems such as:
Engine management systems in automobiles
Keyboard of a PC
Electronic measurement instruments (e.g., digital
multimeters, frequency synthesizers, and
oscilloscopes)
Printers
Motor controls
Security systems
 Cordless and cellular phones
Televisions, radios, CD players, tape recording
equipment
Hearing aids
Security alarm systems, fire alarm systems, and
building services systems
Microwave ovens
Handheld tools
Remote control devices
 An embedded system is a controller that is
embedded in a greater system.
One can define an embedded controller as a
controller (or computer) that is embedded into
some device for some purpose other than to
provide general purpose computing.
n embedded system is a special-
purpose system in which the computer is
completely encapsulated by the device it
controls. Unlike a general-purpose computer,
such as a personal computer, an embedded
system performs pre-defined tasks, usually with
very specific requirements.
 A microprocessor that is used in
an embedded system. These processors are
usually smaller, use a surface mount form
factor and consume less power.
Embedded processors can be divided into two
categories: ordinary microprocessors and
microcontrollers.
 The answer is NO.
One can state devices such as 68000, 32032,
x86, Z80, and so on that are used as
embedded controllers but they arent
microcontrollers.
An embedded controller controls something
(for example controlling a device such as a
microwave oven, car braking system or a
cruise missile).
 An embedded controller may also embed the
on-chip resources like a microcontroller.
Microcontrollers and microprocessors are
widely used in embedded systems. Though
microcontrollers are preferred over
microprocessors for embedded systems due
to low power consumption.