Types, Selection, and Applications of Microcontrollers Chapter Objectives > Introduce microcontrollers > — Study the various types of microcontrollers »® Examine the various criteria for the selection of a microcontroller > List and define a few applications of microcontrollers 1.1. MICROCONTROLLERS 1.1.1 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ACPU in a computer centrally fetches and processes the instructions. It processes instructions for arithmetic and logical operations, bit manipulation and data transfer operations, input and outpat operations, program-flow control, program sequencing, and supervising the system operations. ‘The set of instructions that a CPU can process is defined by its specific instruction set. The instruction sct is unique to each CPU. A CPU has the following basic sections: 1. Program-flow control section (PFCS). Its functions are to * fetch from the memory or 10 devices the instruction and data, # control the process fora given command or instruction, and * communicate with the system.2 Microcontrollers 2. Instruction execution section (IES) and the most important unit, the arithmetic logic unit (ALU). The ALU can perform * an addition or subtraction, multiplication or division, or comparison, + aNOT operation or conversion from one form to another or increment or decrement or trans- fer to a destination, # an AND or XOR, OR or other logical operation, and © other arithmetic or logical operation or bit-manipulation operation like left shift, right shift, rotate left, or rotate right as per the design and its capabilities. Figure 1.1 shows the CPU in acomputer system (or embedded system) with the memory, IO devices, and buses for fetching instructions, data, and communication within the system. An embedded system can be defined as a computer system with the software and operating system embedded into it to provide a specific product or a part of a product for specific application. A bus is aset of parallel lines that carry signals between two active sections or subsections in a system. ADDRESS BUS DATA BUS CONTROL BUS The CPU in a computer system (or embedded system) with the memory:1O devices, and buses for fetching instructions, data, and communication within the system. 1.1.2 Microprocessor Figure 1.2 shows a structure of a microprocessor. A microprocessor is a single very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuit with a CPU and other structural sections like register sets, register files, register windows, caches, multi-instruction pipelines, and parallel ALU(s) to enhance and significantly accelerate the execution and processing of instructions in the system. For example, a pipeline can process five instructions simultaneously. When the first instruction is at the Last stage of processing, the second instruction is at last but one, third at last but (wo, fourth at last but three, and so on. Each microprocessor has a elock (internal or external). The clock monitors all the internal as well as external functions in the microprocessor and the system. The clock frequency can be from 250 ns (4 MHz) to 0.025 ns ~ 0.25 x 10°™s (4 GHz). ‘ Each microprocessor has a reset circuit (internal or external). This circuit brings the Processor to its power-up state or to a well-defined start-up state from where the processing starts.Types, Selection, and Applications of Microcontrollers Registers and stack(s) of CPU. Also the cachesfparailel ALUs! pipelines in advanced processor cpu MICROPROCESSOR ‘CHIP or a VLSI section pial] A structure of the microprocessor chip or VLSI core with the clock and reset circuit, 1.1.3. Microcomputer Figure 1.3 shows the structure of a microcomputer circuit. As shown, a microcomputer is a circuit or a VLSI core that functions as a computer and consists of at least the following sections, VLSI core is like a VDL or verilog file format core that is integrated into a SoC (system on chip) or ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The core fite is also called cell library. It consists of the following: © Microprocessor, Memory for the data (bits, bytes, and words) and stack, ‘Memory for storing the dedicated programs and subprograms, Interfacing circuit between the extemal memories and IO devices, Interrupt handling circuit or unit to handle the system interrupts, and ‘Timing circuit or unit for the system clock and the other timing related functions. MICROCOMPUTER A structure of a microcomputer circuit, chip, or VLSI core. 1.1.4 Computer System A typical computer is.a special, general processor.system that has the following hardware, ‘© Microcomputer circuit or unit, . : ‘* Large memory in the form of primary (semiconductor based, fast, and accessible) and secondary (optical based CD-ROM and magnetic based in hard disk),