What is a Microcontroller (PIC, AVR, etc.)

In order to get more ideas related to the microcontrollers, first of all you should get some ideas related to the basics of these items. Well, these microcontrollers are also abbreviated like MCU or uC. These are also considered as the small computers and assigned for an integrated circuit and contain the processor core, programmable output and input value and memory and several other peripherals. It can program the memory in the forms like OTP ROM and NOR Flash.

These are also added for the chip sometime. These can also be added for the RAM of small size sometime. However, these microcontrollers are primarily designed for the embedded applications and to overcome the microprocessors which are used for the personal computers and for other general applications that we are using in our day to day life.

Some microcontrollers can even be used for industrial purposes. This makes it possible for engineers to write code in C instead of PLC programming for example.

Microcontrollers are the future

Microcontrollers are also used for the devices and products that are controlled automatically. The engine control added for the most advanced vehicles, advanced medical devices, office machines, remote controls, power tools, appliances, toys as well as other systems which are considered as the embedded ones are the best examples of how microcontrollers are used to enhance their performance and functionality. Well, these items are now used greatly for the embedded devices, products and appliances in order to reduce the cost for adding memory, microprocessors and the output as well as input devices. Before, these elements were used to take control of the devices and to complete the required tasks easily.

But that was a costly business and now with the implementation of the microcontrollers, this cost factor has been minimized to a great extent. These microcontrollers are really making things economical for the manufacturers of the appliances and devices. Now they can get better digital controls for their devices and products which were not there before. These days, you can also find the heavy use of the mixed-signal microcontrollers which are becoming common now. For these microcontrollers, the analog components are integrated and they are exactly needed for controlling the non-digital electronic items and systems.

PIC and AVR

Well, this is always asked that which one is better, the PIC or the AVR? Well, there is hardly any simple answers you can find for this question, as both them have advantages as well as bad points. With time the manufacturing process for them has made them similar in their functions and now you can find both PIC and AVR which functions and works in the same manner. For the development of PIC, MPLAB is used and this is also considered to be a pretty stable one. It is also easy on the use and having both the C language as well as assembler. From the MPLAB, the programmer and the debugger can run very nicely.
However, the AVR is having the AVRStudio and this also has some of the most compatible features. Previously, v4.16 was admired greatly but now they are moved for the AVRStudio 5 that is quite enormous and it also uses a lot of frameworks from Microsoft.