All microcomputers contain microprocessors. They are the core of any microcomputer system. Microcontrollers are special-purpose computer systems, usually programmed to perform a single task. As they are computers in and of themselves, microcontrollers will have a microprocessor as part of their system hardware.
Microprocessors
- · A microprocessor is often also called the CPU, or Central Processing Unit, of a microcomputer. It is, in essence, the heart of a computer system. It is tasked to perform a wide variety of functions.
Self-contained Systems
- Microcontrollers are small, task-specific computers. They will have a microprocessor on board to handle logic and instruction processing. Yet, they still must have all the essential elements of any computer system.
Essentials
- Microcontroller units and full computer systems will have basic infrastructure in common. Essential to any computer system is input, output, storage, instruction processing, and memory.
Differences
- The main difference between the microcontroller and a typical computer is a matter of scale. Usually, a microcontroller is programmed for a specific task and left alone to do it without further human input. However, a general computer system can be tasked with a wide variety of jobs.
Example
- A microcontroller would be well-suited to monitoring the water level in a swimming pool. It can read level inputs. It can check them against programmed limits, and it could even drain or fill pumps as needed to maintain the proper level. A full-powered computer system would be overkill for such a job.
No comments:
Post a Comment