Lesson 1 - Micro-Controller (uC) & Programming in Assembly - Introduction
Still sometimes Microcontrollers would be a new application for you. But it is shown that it will be an important device and could not be forgotten for the future life where we wouldn’t able to find electronic devices without a microcontroller. Nowadays, microcontrollers are being used in vehicles, DVD/VCD players, cameras, robotics etc since microcontroller is able to use to do the required tasks based on the instructions given by us. As an example, for counting the number of walkers across a door. Just like a microprocessor used in portable computers, microcontroller is also able to introduce as a device smaller than the processors used in computers.
The reason why this set of lessons has to be produced is the common difficulty of writing a program in Assembly Language and it is among the majority of people. Even though some other higher level and user-friendly programming languages are available for the programming, only Assembly allows you to clearly understand the functionality between the program and the controller or in other words, between software program and the hardware implementation. Hence this set of lessons is specially focused on students who study for their Diploma, Undergraduate or higher degrees in micro-controller-based systems such as Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering etc.
You will be taught by this set of lessons in the next few paragraphs about the preliminary differences between microcontrollers and microprocessors.
What is micro-controller?
Have you ever heard about ‘I.C’ or ‘Integrated Circuit’ before? Definitely, you would have heard about Integrated Circuits and seen. Aren’t you?
Micro-controller is just like an IC by looking at its outward appearance and if you walked through market, you will meet micro-controllers with this appearance. But you must understand that even there are micro-controllers manufactured as special packages not just shaped like universal ICs.
Hence the complexity of micro-controllers is being ranged from a few pins to hundreds of pins depending on the features available and micro-controller is an integrated circuit just like other digital or analogue integrated circuit which is a combination of millions or even billions of preliminary/basic electronic components such as transistors (DP), FETs, resistors and capacitors etc.
Hence the complexity of micro-controllers is being ranged from a few pins to hundreds of pins depending on the features available and micro-controller is an integrated circuit just like other digital or analogue integrated circuit which is a combination of millions or even billions of preliminary/basic electronic components such as transistors (DP), FETs, resistors and capacitors etc.
In the word of micro-controller, micro denotes as ‘everything integrated’ and controller means the ‘controlling device’. Hence in simple words, micro-controller can be known as a multi electronic device which is able to program instructions for the user-requirement.
The upper side of a micro-controller
The program can be written by using a computer and can be uploaded for the micro-controller by using the related software and hardware modules. After being properly uploaded the program, the micro-controller is able to fetch, decode and execute the instructions given. But in here, there is some important thing which you should know.
It is that there is no such ability as intelligence inside of the micro-controller and it is just a unit included basic digital electronic systems such as counters, arithmetic logic units, flip-flops and analogue to digital converters. Hence the accuracy, implementation, execution and performance will only be depended on the program written and uploaded or on the logics or instructions given by the program uploaded.
If the program were improperly written or the instructions given were wrong, the micro-controller would not be worked properly. Thus, the need could not be accomplished. Therefore, micro-controller can be also known as an ‘obeyed servant’ who will only do what you instructed gradually.
It is that there is no such ability as intelligence inside of the micro-controller and it is just a unit included basic digital electronic systems such as counters, arithmetic logic units, flip-flops and analogue to digital converters. Hence the accuracy, implementation, execution and performance will only be depended on the program written and uploaded or on the logics or instructions given by the program uploaded.
If the program were improperly written or the instructions given were wrong, the micro-controller would not be worked properly. Thus, the need could not be accomplished. Therefore, micro-controller can be also known as an ‘obeyed servant’ who will only do what you instructed gradually.
In this set of tutorials, I will be guided you of how to design circuits using micro-controllers, to write programs using MPLAB Assembly language, to install the programs written plus to identify the importance, advantages and disadvantages of micro-controllers gradually.
Is a micro-controller a microprocessor?
Even a beginner to computers would have heard the word called ‘micro-processor’ during the usage and as everyone knows, the central processing and controlling unit of portable computers is a microprocessor (uP). But the application of microprocessors is not just limited to computers.
Thus, micro-controller can be known as a simple application of a microprocessor.
But there is a main difference between a microcontroller and a microprocessor where the micro-controller is possible to name as a ‘Single Chip Computer’ since just like a normal portable computer consists of processors, memory units, and input/output units, Micro-controller is an integrated circuit where the IC consists of a processor, memory units and i/o units but as a few quantities. Hence this single chip can be called as a micro-computer.
But there is a main difference between a microcontroller and a microprocessor where the micro-controller is possible to name as a ‘Single Chip Computer’ since just like a normal portable computer consists of processors, memory units, and input/output units, Micro-controller is an integrated circuit where the IC consists of a processor, memory units and i/o units but as a few quantities. Hence this single chip can be called as a micro-computer.
Comparison between Microprocessor and Micro-controller!
1. Compared with the Microprocessor, the data processing ability of a micro-controller is lower.
2. Performing Speed of a micro-controller (e.g 2 GHz) is considerably higher than the micro-controllers (e.g 50 MHz)
3. The control of the memory system in a microprocessor is considerably higher than the micro-controller since microprocessors are able to control a vast amount of memory storage at a time where the micro-controller is only able to control a single application at a time.
Would you like to further compare the difference
between uC and uP?
then please visit here which will be explained to you of
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