What is a microcontroller? what's the effect?

What is a microcontroller?

Microcontrollers, also known as single-chip microcontrollers, are an integrated circuit chip. It integrates a computer system onto a chip, which is equivalent to a microcomputer. Compared with a computer, a microcontroller only lacks I/O devices.

To put it in a nutshell: a chip becomes a computer. Its small size, light weight and cheap price provide convenient conditions for learning, application and development. At the same time, learning to use microcontrollers is the best choice for understanding computer principles and structures.

The microcontroller uses very large-scale integrated circuit technology to integrate the central processing unit CPU with data processing capabilities, random access memory RAM, read-only memory ROM, various I/O ports and interrupt systems, timers/counters and other functions (It may also include display driver circuits, pulse width modulation circuits, analog multiplexers, A/D converters and other circuits) Integrated into a silicon chip to form a small but complete microcomputer system, widely used in the field of industrial control .

What is the use of microcontroller?

MCUs are used in a wide range of fields, such as instrumentation, household appliances, medical equipment, aerospace, intelligent management and process control of special equipment. Once various products use microcontrollers, they can upgrade the products. The adjective "intelligent" is often placed in front of the product name, such as smart washing machines.

Currently, microcontrollers have penetrated into every field of our lives. It is almost difficult to find any field without traces of microcontrollers. Missile navigation devices, control of various instruments on aircraft, computer network communication and data transmission, real-time control and data processing of industrial automation processes, widely used smart IC cards, security systems for civilian luxury cars, video The control of machines, cameras, fully automatic washing machines, as well as program-controlled toys, electronic pets, etc. are all inseparable from microcontrollers. Not to mention robots, smart instruments, and medical equipment in the field of automatic control. Therefore, the learning, development and application of microcontrollers will create a group of scientists and embedded engineers in computer applications and intelligent control.

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