Microcontroller World

A microcontroller (or MCU, short for microcontroller unit) is a small computer (SoC) on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Program memory in the form of Ferroelectric RAM, NOR flash or OTP ROM is also often included on chip, as well as a typically small amount of RAM. Microcontrollers are designed for embedded applications, in contrast to the microprocessors used in personal computers or other general purpose applications consisting of various discrete chips.Microcontrollers are used in automatically controlled products and devices, such as automobile engine control systems, implantable medical devices, remote controls, office machines, appliances, power tools, toys and other embedded systems. By reducing the size and cost compared to a design that uses a separate microprocessor, memory, and input/output devices, microcontrollers make it economical to digitally control even more devices and processes. Mixed signal microcontrollers are common, integrating analog components needed to control non-digital electronic systems.

                                                  

                                                

Top Ten Micro-controller Manufacturing Companies across the Globe

                        1. Texas Instruments
                        2. Microchip Company
                        3. Silicon Labs
                        4. Renesas Technology Corp
                        5. Intel Corporation
                        6. Dallas Semiconductor
                        7. Fujitsu Semiconductor Europe
                        8. ST Microelectronics
                        9. ZiLog Company

              10. Freescale Semiconductor Company

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As of 2008, there are several dozen microcontroller architectures and vendors including:

• ARM core processors (many vendors)
  • ARM Cortex-M cores are specifically targeted towards microcontroller applications
• Atmel AVR (8-bit), AVR32 (32-bit), and AT91SAM (32-bit)
• Cypress Semiconductor's M8C Core used in their PSoC (Programmable System-on-Chip)
• Freescale ColdFire (32-bit) and S08 (8-bit)
• Freescale 68HC11 (8-bit), and others based on the Motorola 6800 family
• Intel 8051, also manufactured by NXP Semiconductors, Infineon and many others
• Infineon: 8-bit XC800, 16-bit XE166, 32-bit XMC4000 (ARM based Cortex M4F), 32-bit TriCore and, 32-bit Aurix Tricore Bit microcontrollers
• MIPS
• Microchip Technology PIC, (8-bit PIC16, PIC18, 16-bit dsPIC33 / PIC24), (32-bit PIC32)
• NXP Semiconductors LPC1000, LPC2000, LPC3000, LPC4000 (32-bit), LPC900, LPC700 (8-bit)
• Parallax Propeller
• PowerPC ISE
• Rabbit 2000 (8-bit)
• Renesas Electronics: RL78 16-bit MCU; RX 32-bit MCU; SuperH; V850 32-bit MCU; H8; R8C 16-bit MCU
• Silicon Laboratories Pipelined 8-bit 8051 Microcontrollers and mixed-signal ARM-based 32-bit microcontrollers
• STMicroelectronics STM8 (8-bit), ST10 (16-bit) and STM32 (32-bit)
• Texas Instruments TI MSP430 (16-bit), MSP432 (32-bit), C2000 (32-bit)
• Toshiba TLCS-870 (8-bit/16-bit)