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Microcontrollers, also referred to as MCUs (microcontroller units), are embedded semiconductor devices used in circuit board design. They are essentially a computer within an integrated circuit (IC). Microcontrollers are mostly used in single-function embedded applications, unlike microprocessors which are designed for general-purpose work in Personal Computers, Tablets and Smartphones. Microcontrollers are limited in their clock speed compared to microprocessors by the relative slowness of their non-volatile Flash program memory. Learn more in our [microcontrollers guide](/web/content/discovery/ideas-and-advice/microcontrollers-guide).

### What are Microcontrollers made up of?

Microcontrollers contain single or multiple processors, plus memory and I/O peripherals. These peripherals include timers, ADCs (analogue-to-digital converters) and DACs (digital-to-analogue converters).

### What does 8-bit mean?

Microcontrollers have a data bus width which describes the amount of data the MCU can process at a time. For example, an 8-bit microcontroller can process 8 bits at one time. Popular data bus widths include 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit MCUs.

### What packages are available for Microcontrollers?

MCUs come in standard chip packages with various pin counts. Package types include:

- LQFP
- PDIP
- QFN
- SOIC
- SSOP
- TQFP
- TSSOP

### What are ARM processor cores?

Microcontrollers often contain an ARM microprocessor core. ARM represents an architecture developed by ARM Holdings, which is used by other companies to manufacture microprocessors and other devices such as System-on-Chip (SoCs).

- Cortex-M0
- Cortex-M0+
- Cortex-M1
- Cortex-M3
- Cortex-M4
- Cortex-M7
- Cortex-M23
- Cortex-M33
- Cortex-M35P

### Where are microcontrollers used?

MCUs can be found in many technologies and any electronic device containing a sensor, a display, a user interface and a programmable output control or actuator is likely to feature an MCU. They can be found in the following areas:

- Computers
- Automotive
- Robotics
- Automation
- Medical equipment
- Home appliances
- IoT devices


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<p>MSP430 microcontrollers are an ultra-low powered MCU solution, featuring digital and analog peripherals ideal for a range of measurement and sensor applications. The 16-bit RISC architecture of MSP430 MCU&rsquo;s also make them suitable for wireless, low-power industrial and portable applications. Due to the ease of use and broad suite of development tools and support available, MSP430 microcontrollers have become the go to for many developers.</p><h2>What peripherals does MSP430 support?</h2><p>MSP430 microcontrollers offer a wide range of high-performance system peripherals, providing developers with a wide range of MCU&rsquo;s to suit their needs. Many of the common peripherals MSP430 microcontrollers support include:</p><ul><li>USB</li><li>RF</li><li>LCD controllers</li><li>Sigma-Delta ADCs</li></ul><p>At RS you will find an extensive selection of high performing MSP430 and other microcontrollers from leading brand Texas Instruments, each with various pin configurations.</p>

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<p>PIC microcontrollers (Programmable Interface Controllers) are a series of microcontrollers from Microchip that are electronic circuits which can be programmed to perform various tasks. There are many types of PIC microcontrollers available which can be purchased as pre-built circuits or kits that can be put together by the user. These controllers come with several forms including PIC32 bit, 16bit and 8bit depending on the specific PIC microcontroller family.</p><p>PIC devices include a number of integrated on-board peripherals including USB, CAN and Ethernet connectivity which make these microcontrollers (MCUs) suitable for a variety of applications. These microcontrollers also come in various packages such as PDIP, QFN, MSOP, PLCC with each having its own unique advantage and disadvantage.</p><h3>Typical Applications for PIC</h3><p>Due to their ease of programming and interfacing with other peripherals these low-cost PIC microcontrollers are commonly used in electronic devices including:</p><ul><li>Computer control systems</li><li>Phones</li><li>Alarm systems</li></ul><p>PIC Microcontrollers are constantly expanding with improved features and specifications making them a great chip to meet the ever-changing world of modern electronics.</p>

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<p>SAMD21 is a compact yet powerful microcontroller (MCU), ideal for use in a wide range of automation, consumer and industrial applications. SAMD21 microcontrollers offer a low power, high performance embedded flash MCU solution.</p><h2>Why use an SAMD21?</h2><p>SAMD21 microcontrollers offer a range of advanced features, making them highly a versatile and practical choice. Many of the key benefits of an SAMD21 MCU include:</p><ul><li>ARM® Cortex-M0+ based MCU running up to 48 MHz</li><li>Large Memory</li><li>Fast Operating Speeds</li><li>Sensitive Voltage Measurements</li><li>Full-speed USB device and embedded host</li><li>RTC (Real Time Clock) Onboard</li><li>Configurable Serial Interfaces</li></ul><h2>How many pins do SAMD21 microcontrollers feature?</h2><p>SAMD21 MCU's are available with several pins ranging from 32 to 64.</p>

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<p>STM32 microcontrollers, also referred to as a STM32 is a family of 32-bit microcontrollers consist of a processor core, offering a large number of serial and parallel communication peripherals which can be interfaced with a wide variety of electronic components.</p><p>STM MCU are used in many everyday devices such as mobile phones, cameras, cars, washing machines just to name a few and are extremely small microcomputers that are self-contained on a single STM32 chip that can be used as an embedded system.</p><p>These MCUs are designed to perform a single automated task repeatedly as pre-programmed by the user or on a timed loop.</p><p>The STM32 variants come with internal Flash memory and RAM and there are a number of different types and varieties of the STM32. They are so popular due to their suitability for low-power applications and ultra-low-power series.</p><p>The STM32 range features a variety of options to the developer to choose the perfect microcontroller for their specific project. Some of the MCU STM32-bit ARM Cortex range include Arm Cortex M cores (Cortex-M0, Cortex-M0+, Cortex-M3, Cortex-M4 and Arm Cortex-M7) and are supported by a comprehensive set of software tools. These software development tools help enable make the STM32 the ideal choice for projects and entire platform decisions.</p>

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<p>ATmega is a family of robust microcontrollers ideal for use in a wide range of arduino and other development type applications. ATmega microcontrollers are commonly an 8-bit microcontroller that feature Reduced Instruction Set (RISC) based Harvard Architecture. Furthermore, Atmega microcontrollers utilise separate program memory and data memory.</p><h2>Why use ATmega type microcontrollers?</h2><p>Microcontrollers from the ATmega family feature a wide range of peripherals favoured by many developers. Much like AVR, ATmega microcontrollers are ideal for applications that require peripherals such as:</p><ul><li>On-chip ROM (Read Only Memory)</li><li>Data RAM (Random Access Memory)</li><li>Data EEPROM (Electrical Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory)</li><li>Timers and Input / Output Ports</li></ul><p>ATmega microcontrollers also boast extra convenient peripherals such as Analog to Digital Converters (ADC) and Serial Interface Ports.</p><p>At RS, you will find a wide selection robust and versatile ATmega microcontrollers with various pin profiles to help achieve your desired outcome.</p>

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<p>The ATtiny84 is part of the ATtiny series of AVR microcontrollers (MCUs) by Microchip and its design is based on RISC architecture. The ATtiny84 is a very small and low-cost microcontroller which can be programmed with an Arduino. This chip has a low power consumption with a voltage range from 1.8V to 5.5V and is available in various packages such as SOIC and PDIP.</p><p>The ATiny84 chip is a 8-bit processor which has 14 pins, 12 I/O pins and features:</p><ul><li>8K Flash</li><li>512 Bytes of EEPROM</li><li>512 Bytes of SRAM</li><li>Maximum Frequency 20MHz</li><li>8 ADC channels</li><li>4 PWM channels</li><li>8 bit and 16 bit timer/counter with two PWM channels</li></ul><p>Like the AVR ATtiny85 microcontroller, the ATtiny84 is a great little chip for small projects where size is critical.</p>

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<p>The ATtiny85 is an 8 bit AVR microcontroller manufactured by Microchip and its design is based on RISC architecture. The ATtiny85 is a very popular microcontroller due to its small compact size, flexibility and low cost making the ATtiny chip ideal for projects which require simple programming. ATtiny85 can also be programmed with an Arduino, has a low power consumption with the voltage range 2.7V to 5.5V and is available in various packages such as SOIC-8 and DIP.</p><p>The ATtiny85 microcontroller has 8 pins which are assigned with multiple functions. These pins are used to connect external components to the microcontroller, either inputs like sensors, buttons or serial connections, or outputs like LEDs, motors and buzzers. The chip has three built in memories:</p><ul><li>Flash memory</li><li>EEPROM</li><li>SRAM</li><li>32 general purpose registers</li></ul><h2>ATtiny85 Typical Applications</h2><p>This compact microcontroller can be used in applications where small sized embedded chips are required. They can be found in hand held devices where no more than two sensors are required. The ATtiny85 is often used by hobbyists and engineers for small projects where the required number of I/O pins is very low (ATtiny85 has only six I/O pins) and the speed is not a big issue.</p>

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<p>Microcontrollers, also referred to as MCUs (microcontroller units), are embedded semiconductor devices used in circuit board design.</p><h2>What is an AVR microcontroller, and how does it differ from other types?</h2><p>An AVR microcontroller refers to a specific type of architecture design, initially developed by the Atmel corporation in 1996 and since engineered through numerous stages of improvements, refinements and iterations.</p><p>AVR microcontrollers are very widely used today in all kinds of embedded systems and circuits, having become especially popular in recent years due to their inclusion in many Arduino hardware products, a type of open development platform aimed chiefly at hobbyist and educational applications, robot builders, experimenters and small system developers.</p><p>Other popular uses of AVR microcontrollers include numerous automotive applications, including security, safety, powertrain and in-car entertainment systems, as well as several types of desktop computer and console controllers and other peripherals</p><p>Although they can be thought of in very general terms as a sort of miniaturised &lsquo;computer' component embedded as part of a powered integrated circuit (IC), microcontrollers themselves are relatively limited in scope. They're chiefly used to perform repetitive, single-function tasks requiring only limited clock speeds and comparatively low memory speeds to execute.</p><p>AVR microcontrollers are available with different packages such as through hole mounting and surface mount. AVR was one of the first type of microcontroller to use on chip flash memory for program storage instead of one-time programmable ROM, EPROM or EEPROM which was used by other microcontrollers at that period.</p><p>AVR Microcontrollers include:</p><ul><li>TinyAVR - these are small with less memory and ideal for simple programming</li><li>MegaAVR - these are popular due to the amount of memory, more inbuilt peripherals and ideal for more complex programming</li><li>XmegaAVR - ideal for more complex programming where large program memory and a higher speed is needed</li></ul>

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