If you wondered what it is and what is a microcontroller for? What is its operation? Well, here we will show you clearly and understandable to everyone, everything you want to know about this piece of engineering, which gives us so much every day, and that we usually don't even know it's there.
Microcontrollers are widely used around the world, ranging from those used to control motors, even those that are assembled on boards to create innovations like those of Arduino. For this and other reasons, we could not conceive of modern life without this instrument.
What is a PIC and what is it regularly used for?
The microcontroller It is mainly what makes it possible for devices such as mobile phones to exist, computers and all kinds of devices that we use in our daily lives; becoming a great solution for electronic field, with enough structure to support connectivity options.
Like is a circuit that contains the components of a computerIt is quite small in size, what is incorporated into the device that controls it, at the same time it manages to minimize components and cost, since they are the linchpin of computer boards.
This consists of a series of modules, which are generally common to all models, the components it has are the following: CPU processing unit, ROM program memory, the DMA controller, interrupt management, Bluetooth communication modules, LCD display interfaces, Data RAM memory, internal oscillator and many more components.
It is often remembered as a simpler and older version of what CPUs are today, from the aforementioned you can see how important microcontrollers are, since achieve the development of technological devices that we use daily.
What is the operation of a microcontroller?
The operation of a microcontroller is extremely ingenious, and enables many tasks per second, being widely used in systems that integrate a CPU, serving as an aid when expressing basic instructions but how they are used together, can turn into big calculations. To add instructions to a microcontroller, must do through software.
To add the program to the microcontroller it will have to be copied to hexadecimal, being its format par excellence. To design a program it is necessary to know its functional parts, which are ROM and input and output lines. Thanks to its functions and the range of its controls at analog level, it is feasible to use MCU instead of wired electronic cards, that are complex.
It also has features that run in parallel with programs, What are they: Clock circuits, timers, el Watchdogel, which is a control that reacts to infinite interactions, analog digital converters, Low consumption power failure and idle state protections.
Main items of a microcontroller
When we talk about microcontrollers, we refer to integrated circuit that contains the components of our computer, this usually controls the operation of a specific task, since it is so small that it is frequently integrated into the device it controls in our equipment. This is made up of a series of items that enable its correct operation., and what are they:
Peripherals
Input and output peripherals play a very important role, since through these the microcontroller interacts with the outside. Namely, receive and send informationAt the same time, One thing to pay attention to is that even when a microcontroller has several input and output peripherals, only one is capable of both functions.
Procedural unit
The central processing unit or CPU, We could say that it is the core or brain of the microcontroller, since it has the function of executing actions previously saved in memory.
Microprocessor
When we talk about microprocessor, we mean a specific part within the microcontroller, what makes this system functional. Explaining it in a more precise way, it's a Integrated circuit which is part of the central processing unit, In other words, the core of the system.
Memory
Memory is the space where the microprocessor save all the information what enters, it also stores the actions you can take with respect to the execution of your tasks.
What uses can be given to a microcontroller?
Essentially, as is necessary for so many things, fulfills endless functions, because it has the same blocks that have a computer, which helps us treat it as a computing device.
This can be used for sensor management, for games, for calculator development, in light sequencers, on light warnings, for the operation of electric locks, also for electronic agendas. It enables us to use remote controls for televisions, clocks and alarms; smart robots and much more, what is really too much that the microcontroller contributes.
To achieve the program a microcontroller, you must do the following: The creation of the program that will perform the task of telling this element what to do, a code must be written, then compile that code in binary language, load this code into the microcontroller machine.
The administration program will remain within it in a special area, using the tools it will be easy to manage the programming through graphical interfaces.
Which follow the designer for the implementation of the machine code in him. You at the same time can find Microcontrollers of 8, 16 And till 32 bits, which refer to the size of the data bus and with a larger bus it is possible to create complex calculations.
What are the differences between a microcontroller and a microprocessor?
The difference that we can point out between these two components would be that while the microprocessors are in charge of large tasks that require a greater capacity in our equipment, since this system controls various peripherals, In other words, has control over other external components. On the other hand, the microprocessor only performs specific tasks, What management of input and output items or interrupt driving.
What is known as the architecture of a microcontroller?
When we talk about the microcontroller architecture, We are not referring to the system that makes it possible to establish its operational structure. In this type of system two types of architecture are highlighted What are they:
Harvard architecture, what would be the way memory is organized, on the other hand we also have the architecture of By Neumann, which is chronologically older than Harvard and focuses on the databases and storage of this system.
