PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF VALPARAÍSO–CHILE

MICROCONTROLLERS

Javier Escobar
Ignacio Villegas

Rodrigo Martínez Campos

Jonathan Alarcón Espinoza

January 15, 2020

 MICROCONTROLLERS

RESUMEN

The work done in this report corresponds to a research and subsequent

study on microcontrollers, a topic selected by my own choice from five
topics to choose from, all in line with the field of electronics.

The report follows a standard format composed of this same summary followed by
from a preliminary introduction to a development that is divided into chapters for
distinguish the different knowledge on the selected topic, followed by subsequent ones
conclusions based on the researched topic, where references are finally attached to
the different sources used for the completion of the work.

As mentioned earlier, the topic corresponds to microcontrollers.

that correspond to programmable devices to carry out a series of tasks. To have in
it states that this work has a general objective which corresponds to investigating the
characteristics of microcontrollers, of which three objectives were also established
specific ones which correspond to:
Describe the historical context of the creation of microcontrollers.
Describe the characteristics and applications of microcontrollers.
Make a comparison between microcontrollers and microprocessors.

In this way, these objectives were used as the focus for the chapters of the development.
and thus be able to describe the various aspects of microcontrollers in an orderly manner.
It is also worth noting that these objectives are mentioned again in the
introduction as a link to development.

Finally, the knowledge acquired after the

research since it favors the context that one has about microcontrollers,
finding their importance in the different devices in which they are present and their
different applications from here to the future. As a final detail, highlight that the work
contributed to research skills and teamwork.
 INDEX

1
CHAPTER I: HISTORICAL CONTEXT ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
CHAPTER II: CHARACTERISTICS OF MICROCONTROLLERS 2
1. Definition 2
2. Parts of a Microcontroller 2
3. Programming 3
4. Architecture in Microcontrollers 4
5. PIC Microcontrollers 6
CHAPTER III: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BASED SYSTEMS
MICROPROCESSORS AND MICROCONTROLLERS 7
CONCLUSIONS 9
REFERENCES 10
 INTRODUCTION

We are presented with the research activity with the opportunity to delve into one of the
various topics in electronics, in order to delve deeper into this and obtain a
broader vision on the matter.

In this way, the present options were considered, and the theme was decided.
microcontrollers, mainly due to the interest in this subject and in order
that, through various sources and authors, one can learn more about this one,
there is a notion regarding this, and, more importantly, the existence of
these and their need.

That said, this report has a very clear goal based on objectives.
previously established before the writing of this. It is intended to study, describe,
explain and detail the different characteristics and components about the
microcontrollers.

Delving into the more specific objectives that are taken into account
for the study, which consists of only three, are to provide historical context
Regarding microcontrollers, describe their characteristics and applications.
microcontrollers, and finally, make a comparison between microcontrollers and
microprocessors.

The development presented briefly in this introduction will follow a format of

chapters, where the three specific objectives will be taken into account as the main focus,
In this way, each chapter will be attempted to focus on these three objectives respectively, without
embargo, there will be freedom to detail in other aspects if necessary and enrich the
study.

As a final point to mention, a fruitful reflection is expected based on the

knowledge gained through research once the development has been completed.
 1

DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER I: HISTORICAL CONTEXT

In 1969, a team of Japanese engineers from the company BUSICOM,

they wanted to use for their projects few integrated circuits of the ones that were used in the
calculadoras. Se lo propusieron a Intel, y Marcian Hoff era el responsable del proyecto,
since I had experience working with a PDP8 computer. The proposed solution was
that the function of the integrated circuit would be determined by a program stored in it.
That meant the setup would be simpler, but it would require much more.
memory of what was required for the proposed project. After a while, although
Japanese engineers tried easier solutions, Marcian's idea won, and the
the first microprocessor was born. To transform this idea into a manufactured product,
Federico Faggin joined Intel, and in just 9 months he succeeded. Intel obtained the rights
to sell this 'integrated block' in 1971. First, they bought the license for the
BUSICOM company, which had no idea of the treasure they possessed. During that year, it appeared
In the market, there was a microprocessor called 4004, this was the first microprocessor.
4 bits with a speed of 6,000 operations per second.

Thus, the first commercially marketed microcontroller was in 1974 by Texas.

Instruments called TMS 1000, being this 4 bits, and was the first
microprocessor that included RAM and ROM for application development. Following
with the evolution of these devices, the first microcontroller manufactured by
Intel in 1973, the 8048 (8 bits) integrating a CPU, RAM, ROM all in a single chip.
input/output devices, and in 1982 Intel released the 8051 that gave rise to the family of
Intel MCS51 microcontrollers, this core has been the basis for more than 100
microcontrollers from more than 20 manufacturers, such as Atmel, Dallas Semiconductor,
Philips, Winbond among others.

By the 1980s, the break in development and evolution begins.

technological between microprocessors and microcontrollers. Microprocessors have
evolved in seeking the solution to managing large volumes of information,
while microcontrollers incorporate functional units with capabilities
superiors of interaction with the physical environment in real time, better performance and
robustness in industrial applications.
 2

CHAPTER II: CHARACTERISTICS OF MICROCONTROLLERS

1. Definition

A microcontroller is a programmable integrated circuit, which makes it very

versatile. It consists of a central processing unit (CPU), units of
memory (RAM and ROM), clock generator, input and output ports, and finally
peripherals. It is capable of executing the commands stored in its memory.
The fundamental purpose is to read and execute the programs that the user writes.
to meet your need.

2. Parts of a Microcontroller

A microcontroller typically consists of:

Clock generator: It is a component that generates pulses with a frequency

specific. This can be mechanical, electronic, electrical, or of sets, which is
they are required for information processing and for synchronization. This device
generates pulses in a functional electronic area. The clock frequency is
determine in hertz. Normally, all microcontrollers require circuits
oscillators for their operation.

Memory: They are used to store data for a specific period of time.
information that is required during the execution of the program will be, on the one hand, the
same code, and on the other hand, the various data used during execution. It consists of
with a volatile memory called RAM, which is where the data is stored, and from
other non-volatile types like ROM, OTP, EEPROM, and FLASH, where the data is stored
programs. Next, we will go into detail about some of the existing memories:

RAM: The data memory in these devices has limited capacity.

well, they only contain the variables and the changes in information that occur in the
during the execution of the program.

Masked ROM: It is a read-only memory whose content is recorded.

during the manufacturing of the chip. Mask comes from the way circuits are manufactured.
integrated circuits, these are manufactured on wafers that contain several dozen chips.
wafer are obtained from photochemical processes, where layers are impregnated with
silicon and silicon oxide, and they erode when exposed to light. Since not all points
they end up being eroded, a mask with holes is placed between the light and the wafer,
So wherever the light should hit, it will pass. Due to the high cost of the design.
It is advisable to use microcontrollers with this type of memory.
when quantities greater than several thousand units are required.
 3

OTP: It is a "one-time programmable" read-only memory, hence its

acronym in English One Time Programmable. The user can write a program in the
chip using software. The OTP version is recommended when it is for a short.
product design cycle, or in the production of prototypes and very small series.

EEPROM: It is a read-only memory, for which both the programming and the
erasure is performed electrically from a programmer. Once installed in the
circuit, they can be recorded and erased as many times as desired without being removed from it
circuit, although it is also finite so a programming is not recommended
continues. For this, "circuit programmers" are used, which provide a great
flexibility and speed when making changes to the work schedule.

FLASH: This is a non-volatile, low-power memory that can be written to and

delete. It works like a ROM and a RAM but consumes less and is smaller.
This can be programmed in the circuit, it is very fast and tolerates more cycles of
writing/deletion that the EEPROM.

Input/output units: They are the ones that support the lines that communicate with
microcontroller with external peripherals.

-CPU: It is the core of the microcontroller, also known as the processor or

microprocessor. It is the brain of the system, which processes all the data that travels to
along the bus.

Special modules: These are the modules that allow performing tasks
specific within the microcontroller that add value to it. Among
the most common ones are: timers, event counters, converters
Analog/Digital and Digital/Analog, analog comparators, modulators of
pulse width, communication ports, interrupt control, etc. Due to
that microcontrollers include these specific features only for some
models, their cost is relatively low and depends on the application they are intended for.

3. Programming

Microcontrollers are designed to interpret and process data.

instructions in binary form (machine language), where the minimum units of
information is known as bits. The programming of these is carried out in a
high-level language, that is, a language that uses phrases and words similar to
characteristics of human language. The most commonly used languages in programming of the
Microcontrollers are C and BASIC. Another type of more specialized language is the
assembly language, also known as mnemonic, which is a list with a
limited number of instructions to which the microcontroller can respond. This
it is easy to understand and allows direct operation with memory records as well as
with the intrinsic instructions of the microcontroller.
 4

Any written language in a high-level language must be transformed into

machine code, this process is done by the software of our computer translating and
transforming our program into code that can read and interpret the
microcontroller. Once the program is compiled, the machine code is transferred to
the internal memory of the microcontroller, usually towards the ROM.

4. Architecture in Microcontrollers

The architecture in microcontrollers refers to how the CPU accesses

the memory and the amount or set of instructions of each family. The two architectures
The main ones used in the manufacturing of microcontrollers are the Von architecture.
Neumann and the Harvard architecture. In addition, these architectures can have
CISC type processors or RISC type processors.

Von Neumann Architecture: With this architecture, the conceptual design is made and the
operational structure of most microprocessors and commonly used computers
personnel that has been used since its inception to date. In this architecture, the data and the
Instructions circulate on the same bus since they are stored in the same one.
memory, generally of the RAM type, and its main advantage is the saving of lines of
input/output but this implies a decrease in the speed at which they are carried out
processes. The bus width that connects the memory to the CPU determines the size of
the unit of data or instructions, an 8-bit microprocessor with an 8-bit bus
it will have to handle data or instructions of 8 bits in length. For data access or
instructions of more than 8 bits will require more than one memory access.

Harvard Architecture: It is characterized by having separate memory blocks for

data and instructions and access them through independent buses for address, data and
 5

control. The independence of buses allows for simultaneous and independent access to
the memory of data and instructions, the content and length of the locations of
memory can be different for data and instructions, this allows a
optimization in the use of memory.

CISC type processor: This type of processor allows handling a wide list of
instructions, hence the name "Complex Instruction Set Computer", which in Spanish
It means 'Computer with Complex Instruction Set', to program in this type of
Architecture requires, in some cases, mastery of up to hundreds of instructions.

RISC type processor: It is designed to handle a few instructions but without

affect the computer's performance. This allows for much easier programming
And as if that weren't enough, RISC-type circuits have a structure that seeks
at least the next instruction to be executed while carrying out the current instruction. This
the structure allows not only to achieve greater processing speed but also to process each
instruction at the same speed.
 6

5. PIC Microcontrollers

This family of microcontrollers produced by Microchip is the one par excellence

has been the one used by most designers. Microchip manufactures microcontrollers
8-bit general-purpose RISC architecture, low power consumption
using Harvard architecture. Currently, PIC microcontrollers are classified
depending on the length of the instruction word:

-Baseline or basic, with words 12 bits in length, with reference 12CXXX.

-Medium range line, with 14-bit long words, with the reference 16CXXX.
High line, with words of 16 bits in length, with references 17CXXX and 18CXXX.
 7

CAPITULO III: DIFERENCIAS ENTRE SISTEMAS BASADOS EN

MICROPROCESSORS AND MICROCONTROLLERS

There are important differences between the two technologies, each having its own
Advantages and disadvantages, the use of each one depends on the needs at hand.

Microcontrollers Microprocessors

CPU The CPU of a The microprocessor has

microcontroller is more much more power from
simple, your instructions are calculation, for which only
focused on managing ports performs its functions with it
input and output. what it has (data) and its
algorithm or program
established.

RAM and ROM memory Includes them in a single They are external devices that
integrated circuit. they complement it for its
optimal functioning.

Operation speed Slow compared to the Fast.

of a microprocessor.

Size The simplified design of the The minimum configuration

microcontrollers allow basic of a microprocessor
printed circuits more is made up of a
small and simple. microprocessor, a
RAM memory, a memory
ROM, a decoder of
directions, which makes it a
quite a cumbersome circuit.

Costs The cost for a system For the microprocessor, the

based on microcontroller the cost is very high in the
is much smaller. current affairs.

Interferences The high level of integration They are more susceptible to the
reduce the levels of electromagnetic interference
interference due to its size and to its
electromagnetic. external wiring that makes it
more prone to noise.

Development time The development time of a The development time of a

microcontroller is fast. microprocessor is slow.
 8

Depending on the type of application or control problem to be solved, it is done

evident the use of devices with interfaces or add-ons that allow to speed up and
support the project. Microcontroller manufacturers like Motorola Freescale and
Microchip has developed several families with unique characteristics, where the designer
you can choose what suits you best. Some of these decisions are:

If the microcontroller interacts with phenomena of an analog nature, it is preferred

choose devices with Analog/Digital converters.
If the project requires time measurements or generating time bases for the
application the device must have one or more timers.
The need to communicate several microcontrollers over a network or transmit to a
Computing device, devices with an interface for serial transmission are chosen such as
RS-232.
Controlling devices by modulating the signal through pulse width requires the use of
PWM outputs.
The implementation of projects that require permanent attention or monitoring of a
In the process, it becomes evident that the device must have interrupt sources.
 9

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the work previously done and detailed in this report, it has been possible to
appreciate more in depth about microcontrollers, their origin, their characteristics,
applications and uses, among others.

Several sources and authors were consulted for the preparation of this, who provided the
necessary information for a successful development, where the only limitation, perhaps, is that
could have presented at some point was the great similarity of certain data and the
the way in which information was delivered in several of the sources, which, although they may
prevent the investigation into darker or extra data that could further enrich the study,
it was finally useful anyway to corroborate the truth of the
information from more instantaneous forms. This being a research based
mostly from sources found on the internet, a corroboration of the data results from
sum of importance.

It is important to highlight that the focus on the objectives was maintained at all times to be able to
carry out the different chapters present within the report, answering many of
the unknowns that arose at the beginning of the research and managing to achieve the goal
what was mainly had. All of this helped to achieve a better perception of the
selected theme and which will undoubtedly be essential information at the time of
to be applied within electronics or any software program if that is the case.

In the application topic, microcontrollers are very present in life

cotidiana actual, ejemplos de esto pueden ser, dentro de equipos de oficina,
appliances, mobile phones, cars, airplanes, boats, etc. As long as it is not something that the
common user realizes in day-to-day life, it remains important in the context of
technological development and generates expectations of progress and future use of
microcontrollers.
 10

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