Microcontrollers & Microprocessors

Difference between Microprocessors & Microcontrollers.

Figure 1.1 illustrates some of the similarities and differences between

microprocessors and microcontrollers. In Figure 1.1(a), the microprocessor is just one
component of many in a system containing digital and analog I/O, timers, RAM,
EEPROM, etc. In Figure 1.1(b), we see that all of the components in the microprocessor-
based system are contained within the microcontroller itself, with the exception of the
D/A converter. However, the PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) output of the
microcontroller can, through a low-pass filter, generate an analog output voltage.

The microprocessor needs an external ROM or EEPROM to store its control

program. These memories are built into the microcontroller. Thus, instead of placing a
ROM into a burner to program it, the microcontroller is placed into the burner and
programmed. In addition, glue logic is required to interface the microprocessor with its
external circuitry. None is required in the microcontroller-based system, since most of the
circuitry is already inside the microcontroller.

The instruction set of the microprocessor is more powerful than that of the
microcontroller. For example, there may be microprocessor instructions to support
multitasking, memory management, and floating-point calculations, but these instructions
are not typically found in a microcontroller. Thus, the complexity of the application or
process helps determine whether or not to use a microcontroller.

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Fig. 1.1 Difference between Microcontrollers and Microprocessors

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Why use a Microcontroller?

As stated in above section, the difference between a microprocessor, which can do

nothing by itself, and a microcontroller is clear. Even so, the applications for
microprocessor-based systems are numerous. The popular personal computer stands out
as one of the most important and useful applications.

But many applications do not require the impressive power of the 32-bit
microprocessor or the extensive expandability that is available on many microprocessor-
based motherboards. Applications such as Electronic ‘Times-Square’ displays, credit card
readers, automatic teller machines, and others can be handled easily with the power of an
8-bit microprocessor and some external support circuitry for I/O. When this is the case, a
microcontroller becomes a suitable substitute.

The microcontroller is a good alternative to microprocessor-based systems, bundling

many of the features of the system on a single chip! For instance, one model of the
Motorola 6811 microcontroller that we will be covering contains all of the following on a
single chip:
• 12K bytes of EPROM
• 512 bytes of EEPROM
• 512 bytes of RAM
• 16-bit Timer
• serial I/O capability
• 8-channel analog-to-digital conversion

Another popular microcontroller, the Intel 8051, is similarly organized. Its

internal hardware includes RAM, EPROM, timers, interrupt circuitry, and both serial and
parallel I/O. Clearly, the microcontroller is almost a complete system by itself, containing
internally many of the most desirable functions found in a microprocessor-based system.
One can only assume that the term microcontroller was derived from the usefulness of
this device in many control applications. One could easily argue that the microcontrollers
currently available do not compare to the powerful 32-bit microprocessors that can access
billions of bytes of memory, have powerful instruction sets that support multitasking, are
optimized for multimedia processing, and run at clock speeds upward from 2 GHz. On
the other hand, it would be a waste of technology to put a 32-bit microprocessor inside a
robot arm dedicated to welding frame joints on an assembly line or inside a credit card
machine, microwave oven, or personal computer keyboard.

In small, dedicated applications like these, an 8-bit microcontroller is powerful

enough to handle the job with a minimum of external circuitry. With its built-in
EEPROM and RAM, serial I/O and timer capability, and self-contained operation, why
use anything else for a small control application? It would be too expensive in terms of

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component count, layout, board space, and troubleshooting to use anything but a
microcontroller. Now that we have an exposure to the basics of the microcontroller, we
can concentrate on the specifics. Table 13.1 lists the many different types of Motorola
microcontrollers. The number of models of each type of microcontroller allows the
designer to choose the microcontroller that best fits the needs of a new system.

The differences between models include the amount of internal EEPROM and
RAM, the number of serial and parallel I/O lines, the number of timers, PWM outputs,
and A/D channels, and so on. Let us take a look at some actual devices.

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