Microcontroller : A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. It is also called Micro Controlling Unit or MCU.
Microcontrollers are used in automatically controlled products and
devices, such as automobile engine control systems, implantable medical
devices, remote controls, office machines, appliances, power tools, toys
and other embeded system.
Origination & History: Made and Launched by Intel in 1976. It was named Intel 8048. It didnt have a on chip EPROM .With the coming of EPROM technology many organisation stateted manufacturing their microcontrollers. Intel 8048 was followed by Intel 8051 family (i.e 8051AH , 80C51BH , 80C5FA1). Intel 8751was the first microcontroller version with on-chip EPROM . In 1993 PIC came up with a new microchip PIC 16x84 which was the first of its kind to have a EEPROM memory. With the growing market in the same year ATMEL introduced it product having a flash memory.
This is how the microcntrollers evolved.
Advantages:
- As peripherals are integrated within the chip overall system cost is reduced.
- Size is very small ,thus very handy
- System design requires littele efforts and is easy to troubleshootand maintain
- System is more reliable for dedicated application which doesnt requires much changes.
List of Microcontroller Families:-
- Intel Family
- Atmel
- PIC
