Introduction to
MICROCONTROLLERS
Content
Microcontroller Types of Signals
CPU ADC , DAC
Types of Memory Bus
I/O Peripherals Oscillator
Microprocessor Timer / Counter
Difference between them UART
What is a microcontroller?
The microcontroller is a small computer chip
that has a CPU, memory, and input/output parts
all inside one piece.
It can also connect easily to other devices like
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ADC, or DAC to communicate
with the outside world.
CPU
CENTRAL PROCESSING
UNIT
• Instruction Decoder : understands the program
instructions and controls other parts of the microcontroller to
perform the required task.
• Instruction Set : is the list of all commands the microcontroller
can execute, and it’s different for each type of microcontroller.
• ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) : performs all math and logic operations on the. data.
CPU
CENTRAL PROCESSING
UNIT
• Status Register (PSW) : shows the condition of the value in the
Accumulator — for example, whether it is zero, positive, or negative.
• Accumulator : is like a working desk where data is stored for operations
such as addition or moving, and it also keeps the results for later use.
Types of
RAM
(RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY )
Memory ROM
(READ ONLY MEMORY)
DRAM (DYNAMIC MROM (MASK
PROM
SRAM (STATIC RAM) ROM)
MEMORY)
OTP ROM EPROM EEPROM
I/O Peripherals
What is a microprocessor?
The microprocessor is a small computer chip
that works as the brain of a system (CPU).
It can do arithmetic (like addition or subtraction)
and logical operations (like comparing numbers) ,
and helps in controlling the system and storing
data
Microprocessor, by-itself, completely useless
must haveexternal peripherals to Interact with
outside world
Difference between
MP & MC
COST SPEED COMPONANT
ANALOG VS DIGITAL
SIGNALS
• Analog signal : changes smoothly and can take any value within
a range — like the gradual movement of a thermometer’s
needle.
• Digital signal : changes in clear steps and shows specific
values, not a continuous range — it jumps from one value to
another instead of moving smoothly.
ADC vs DAC
A/D Converter
An analog to digital converter is an electronic
circuit which converts continuous signals to
discrete digital numbers
________________________________________________________________
D/A Converter
A digital to analog converter is an electronic
circuit which converts digital numbers into
continuous analog signals.
Bus
Address Bus: Data Bus:
carries the address of the carries the actual data
location in memory where data between the CPU, memory, • the bus consists of 8, 16 or more wires
will be read or written. It tells the and other parts of the (can handle a 8,16 bits in a single cycle) •
system where to find or store microcontroller.
data.
Oscillator
The oscillator works like a tiny clock inside the
microcontroller.
It creates a continuous series of pulses that keep
everything running at the right speed and help measure
time.
Timers/Counters
Timers and counters are parts of the microcontroller used to measure time or count events.
When they use the internal oscillator, the timer counts the pulses to know how much
time has passed between two events.
The timer measures time, while the counter counts how many times
something happens.
UART
UART helps the microcontroller send and receive data to other devices.
It sends the data one bit at a time, and both devices just need to agree on the same
speed to understand each other.
Example: ATmega328P (Arduino Uno MCU)
The ATmega328P is the heart of the popular Arduino Uno board, and it's a fantastic example
of a typical microcontroller.
Processing Power: It boasts an 8-bit CPU running at 16 MHz. This means it can perform millions of
operations per second, which is more than enough for many embedded applications.
Memory Configuration: It includes 32 KB of Flash memory for storing your programs, 2 KB of SRAM
for active data, and 1 KB of EEPROM for persistent data like configurations.
Input/Output: It provides 14 Digital I/O pins, which can be configured as either inputs or outputs.
Additionally, it has 6 Analog inputs (A0-A5) that can read varying voltage levels.
Communication: It supports common serial communication protocols like UART, SPI, and I2C,
allowing it to connect with a wide array of sensors, displays, and other modules.
THANK YOU