A Microcontroller is a Microcomputer in a single Chip. That means that a microcontroller chip
includes a microprocessor (CPU) as well as some often used peripherals. A controller is
used to control (makes sense!) some process or aspect of the environment. A typical
microcontroller application is the monitoring of my house. As the temperature rises, the
controller causes the windows to open. If the temperature goes above a certain threshold,
the air conditioner is activated.
As the process of miniaturization continued, all of the components needed for a controller
were built right onto one chip (see Fig. 3). A one chip computer or microcontroller was born.
A microcontroller is a highly integrated chip which includes, on one chip, all or most of the
parts needed for a controller. The microcontroller could be called a "one-chip solution". It
typically includes