Microprocessor
A microprocessor is a computer processor that incorporates the functions of the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer into a single integrated circuit (IC), or at most a few integrated circuits. The microprocessor is a digital, register-based and register-based integrated circuit that accepts input binary data, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and outputs output. Microprocessors contain combinational logic and sequential digital logic. The microprocessors operate with numbers and symbols represented in the binary number system.
Integrating an entire CPU into a single chip or into some chips greatly reduced the cost of processing power, increasing efficiency. The integrated circuit processors are produced in large quantities by highly automated processes that result in a low unit cost. Single-chip processors increase reliability because there are far fewer electrical connections to fail. As microprocessor designs improve, the cost of manufacturing a chip (with smaller components built on a semiconductor chip of the same size) generally stays the same.
Prior to microprocessors, small computers had been built using circuit board racks with many medium and small scale integrated circuits. The microprocessors combined this into one or a few large-scale integrated circuits. The continuous increase in microprocessor capacity has made almost all computers almost obsolete (see computer hardware history), with one or more microprocessors used in everything from smaller embedded systems to larger mainframes and supercomputers.
Microcontroller
A microcontroller (or MCU for microcontroller unit) is a small computer in a single integrated circuit. In modern terminology, it is similar to, but less sophisticated than, a system on a chip or SoC; a SoC may include a microcontroller as one of its components. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable I / O peripherals. Program memory in the form of RAM Ferroelectric, NOR flash or OTP ROM is also often included in the chip, as well as a small amount of RAM. Microcontrollers are designed for embedded applications, in contrast to microprocessors used in personal computers or other general purpose applications that consist of several discrete chips.
Microcontrollers are used in automatically controlled products and devices such as automotive engine control systems, implantable medical devices, remote controls, office machines, electrical appliances, power tools, toys and other embedded systems. By reducing size and cost compared to a design that uses a microprocessor, memory and separate 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.
Some microcontrollers can use four-bit words and operate at frequencies as low as 4 kHz, for low power consumption (milli-watts or micro-watts in a single digit). They will usually have the ability to retain functionality while waiting for an event such as a button press or other interrupt; Power consumption while sleeping (the CPU clock and most peripherals off) can be simply nano-watts, making many of them well suited for long battery life applications. Other microcontrollers can perform critical performance functions, where they may need to act more like a digital signal processor (DSP), with higher clock speeds and power consumption.