EEE/ECE 365

Microprocessor

Lecture #1
Introduction
Slide Courtesy of Imtiaz Ahmed, Lecturer, Dept. of EEE,
Brac University
 Introduction
• We observe a rapid growth in the field of
– Electronics,
– Wireless communications,
– Networking and
– Robotics.
• With this growth, devices around you communicate in more ways than you
ever imagined.
• Those times are not very distant when every object around us will have a small
microprocessor/ microcontroller/ sensor.
• They will be embedded within itself, invisible to us but still communicating with
all other devices around.
• It will make our lives more connected and accessible than ever before.
• Microprocessor and microcontroller have also revolutionized various industries
and our day-to-day life
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 What is a Microprocessor?
• A Microprocessor is just a
CPU, containing
– Arithmetic logic unit
(ALU)
– Control Unit (CU)
• One has to add externally
– memory,
– clock,
– input/output interfaces,
– timer and all other
needed peripheral.

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 What is a Microcontroller?
• A microcontroller is a single chip containing at least
– a CPU,
– non-volatile memory,
– volatile memory,
– a timer and
– an I/O control unit.
• Basically a microcontroller can be
described as a computer on a chip.
• Regular PC is a general purpose computer while a microcontroller is a computer
dedicated to one or just a few tasks.
• A microcontroller apart from the above mentioned components usually also
include, but not limited to,
– serial communication capabilities,
– interrupt controls and
– analog I/O capabilities.
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 Difference between Microprocessor
and Microcontroller
• In appearance, there is hardly any
difference between a microprocessor
and microcontroller
• But functionally, there are a number of
differences.
• They are different in terms of the
applications they are used, the costs,
processing power, power consumptions
etc.

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 Differences: In terms of Applications
• Microprocessors are used normally for generalized tasks or for a specific
task where extensive computing power is necessary.
• But, microcontrollers are used for a specific task.
• For example, for programming and controlling all functions of a camera,
washing machine, microwave oven a microcontroller may be used.

Use of microprocessor Use of microcontroller

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 Differences : In terms of Processing Power
and Memory
Microprocessor Microcontroller

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 Differences : In Terms of Data Handing
Capacity
• Data and Address bus

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 Differences: In terms of Power
Consumption and Cost
Microprocessor : High
Microcontroller: Low

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Differences : Summary

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 Why uP and uC are so popular?
• Small Size
• Lower Cost
• Higher Reliability
• Lower Power Consumption
• Higher Versatility
• More Powerful

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 Smaller Size
• A tiny chip can contain hundreds of thousands of transistors
and components
• The size of present day microprocessor has now reduced to
less than an inch
• With the advent of VLSI technology the microprocessors now
come with a large numbers of pins

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 Lower Cost
• With the advent of complex technology, microprocessor cost
does not increase proportionally.
• Rather its cost per function has decreased gradually.
• As the material cost is negligible in comparison with the initial
masking cost, per unit cost decreases as the volume of
production increases.

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 Higher Reliability
• With the advent of more sophisticated fabrication technology
and testing system microprocessor manufacturing process is
now very reliable.
• Moreover, the microprocessor based system now-a-days
requires less number of chips and so wiring requirement is
less making the overall system more reliable.

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 Power consumption
• Present day microprocessors consume very low power in
the order of milliwatt.
• This is because of the fact that they are manufactured by
transistors using CMOS technology which requires very low
power.

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 Versatility
• Since the program stored in a microprocessor system is
rewritable hence one system can be reused by loading a
new program.
• This is especially useful when a new system is being
developed. Frequent change in programming is necessary to
fix bugs if any.

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 More powerful
• Present day microprocessor is more powerful than the
previous one, w.r.t processing speed, memory and I/O
pins.
• This becomes possible because of increase in data
addressible bit size.
• Now 32 bit processor is common in the market.
• A 32 bit microprocessor is powerful than the then main
frame computer.

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 Typical Applications of uP
• Microprocessor is basically a CPU, using CPU general purpose
computer can be built.
• Desktop computers, PCs, Laptops, Workstations, Servers,
Supercomputers.
• They are used where task is not predefined.
• For example, using a PC you can use for
– Gaming,
– Web browsing,
– Photo editing,
– Creating documents,
– Mathematical Calculations,
– Simulations etc.
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 An Example of uC based System
Washing Machine
❑ It is an automatic clothes washing SYSTEM
❑ Parts: Status display panel, Switches & Dials, Motor,
Power supply & control unit, Inner water level sensor
and solenoid valve.
Rules
1. Wash by spinning
2. Rinse
3. Drying
4. Wash over by blinking
5. Each step display the process stage
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 Typical Application of uC
• Using microcontrollers embedded systems are produced.
• An embedded system is a combination of hardware and software
built for a specific application
– Consumer electronics making toys, cameras, camcorders, robots
– Consumer products - washing machines, microwave ovens etc.
– Instrumentation - oscilloscopes, various medical equipments,
– Process control - data aquisition, controlling various industries
– Communication – Telephone, answering machines
– Office equipments – Fax, printer, small PABX
– Micromedia application – Cell phones, PDAs, teleconferencing
equipment

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Applications of uC based Systems

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 Major Manufacturers of Microcontrollers
• Atmel Corp. - Manufacturers of the popular AVR series of
microcontrollers.

• Microchip Technology Inc. - Manufacturers of the PIC

series of microcontrollers.

• Texas Instruments Inc. - One of the world's largest

semiconductor companies.

• Renesas Technology Corp. - A joint merger of Hitachi and

Mitsubishi product lines.
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AVR Trainer
Board

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 Software Needed
• Proteus may be used to simulate a electrical circuit even involving
microcontroller. We shall be using Proteus 8.
• The C program will be developed using a Program called
CodeVisionAVR. There are other similar softwares as well.
• The compiled code (the .hex file) of the C program can be linked from
the Proteus.
• But if you want to download the .hex file of your program in the
microcontroller you have to use one of the available burner
software. You can use “eXtreme Burner” software for that.

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 Special NOTES
• Book Reference
– Richard H. Barnett, Sarah Cox, Larry O'Cull-”Embedded C
Programming and the Atmel AVR” – 2nd Edition, Delmar
Cengage Learning, 2007
– M. A. Mazidi, S. Naimi and S. Naimi : “The AVR
microcontroller and embedded System – Using Assembly
and C”, Prentice Hall (PEARSON), 2011.

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Thanks
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