Microcontrollers

Microcontrollers (MCU) are the brain of an embedded system. They are computer scaled down to a single compact chip for managing a specific operation. They are highly integrated single chips with a processor core, memory, I/O Peripherals, timer/counter and communication ports contained within. They include a range of products offering digital processing under software control. Most important criteria in selecting a MCU for a particular application is the data bus width expressed in bits. MCUs are available in various data widths ranging from 4 to 64 bits. It is used in variety of general and special applications. Applications include domestic appliances, handheld devices, servers, automotive, network infrastructure, image processing and communication. MCUs can support RTOS (Real Time Operating System) but typically not a full blown O/S.