Difference Between Microprocessor and

Microcontroller
The microprocessor is a type of computer processor in which both the data
processing logic and control are included on a single integrated circuit or
small numbers of integrated circuits; in contrast, a microcontroller is a small,
low-cost microcomputer on a single VLSI integrated circuit (IC) chip. It
controls portions of an electronic system through a microprocessor unit
(MOU) and some peripherals. In this article, we will learn the difference
between a microprocessor and a microcontroller.
 Microprocessor Microcontroller
Since memory and I/O are Since memory and I/O are
connected externally, the present together, the internal
circuit becomes large in size. circuit is small in size.

It cannot be used in compact It can be used in compact

systems systems.
Cost is high Cost is low
It is not suitable for devices It can be used on devices that
that run on stored power since use stored power since total
total power consumption is power consumption is low due to
high due to external less external components.
components.
Do not have power saving mode. Have a power-saving mode.

Used in personal computers. Used in embedded systems.

Less number of registers. More number of registers.
Uses an external bus. Uses an internal controlling
bus.
Based on the Von Neumann Based on the Harvard
model architecture
It is a central processing unit on It is a byproduct of the
a single silicon-based integrated development of
chip. microprocessors with a CPU
along with other peripherals.
Complex and expensive due to a Simple and inexpensive due to
large number of instructions to less number of instructions to
process. process.

Can run at a very high speed. Can run up to 200MHz or

more.
 Detailed Differences Between Microprocessor and
Microcontroller
Microprocessor and Microcontroller are different in the following ways:

Microprocessor only consists of Central Processing Unit, whereas

Microcontroller has memory, a CPU and I/O. All these are integrated
into one chip.

A microprocessor uses external bus to interface to ROM, RAM, and

other peripherals. Microcontroller, on the other hand, uses internal
controlling bus.

A microprocessor is used in personal computers whereas

microcontroller is used in embedded system.
 Microprocessor is based on the Von Neumann model whereas
Microcontroller is based on the Harvard architecture.

A microprocessor is complicated in nature, with a large set of

instructions to process. Microcontroller is not that expensive and
less complex with fewer instructions to process.

What is a Microprocessor?
Microprocessor is a type of computer processor in which both the data processing
logic and control are included on a single integrated circuit or on small numbers of
integrated circuits. These processors consist of logic, control and arithmetic circuits.
Its integrated circuit is capable of interpreting and executing program instructions.
These are multiple-purpose, clock-driven and register-based digital integrated
circuits that accept input in binary data and process it as per the instruction stored in
its memory.

Components of a Microprocessor
A microprocessor has the following components

I/O Units

Control units

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

Cache

Registers
Types of Microprocessors
Microprocessors are segregated according to their usage. There are three main types
of microprocessors:

1. CISC Microprocessor
Complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessors are designed for
executing complex instructions that minimise the total number of instructions per
program. In a complex instruction, there are multiple instructions, such as reading
f rom memory or any arithmetic operation. It requires multiple machine cycles for
executing an instruction due to the large size of the instruction set that has multiple
addressing modes in a single instruction.

2. DSP (Digital Signal Processor)

These are the microprocessors that are designed for processing any signal such as
radar, sonar, image processing, image processing, etc. They can process multiple
signals at a t ime in parallel operation. These microprocessors convert between
analogue (ADC) and digital (DAC) signals. Then, they process them by f ilt ering,
compressing and applying algorithms in the digital format.

3. RISC Microprocessor
A Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) is designed for executing simple
instructions. The number of instructions is reduced to 30-40. Instructions are
simplified to reduce execution t ime. The format and the size of these instructions is
f ixed and limited. Since the instruction is completed in a clock cycle, more lines of
program code and more memory are required for storing the instruction. There is
less load on hardware and more on either compiler or software.

4. Input/Output Processor (IOP)

These are the special processors that control and manage the input-output tasks in
a computer. They have direct access to memory, and unlike CPUs, they only process
the I/O peripherals. While the CPU sends instructions for operation, IOP executes
them.
5. Bit-Slice Microprocessors (BSM)
These microprocessors combine identical BSMs to form microprocessors of the
desired word size. The objective is to design microprocessors of the desired width
by increasing the bit size. Two or more identical BSMs are cascaded to form
processors of both conventional and unconventional word sizes.

6. Graphics Processors
These are the special types of microprocessors that accelerate the process of
image creation. GPU consists of a graphic processor and other essential
components such as cooling components and RAM. They parallelly execute
instructions, due to which they perform faster than CPUs. Graphic processors are
found in gaming consoles, smartphones and computers and are used for rendering
images in CGI or video games.

7. Coprocessor
These are the special-purpose microprocessors that aid the primary processor in
processing complex tasks to improve its performance. The Coprocessor shares its
processing power with the primary processor to reduce the load off. It works
independently and is very fast in executing tasks due to limited instruction sets. This
microprocessor is used for single processing, I/O interfacing operations, complex
arithmetic and graphic operations. It is physically distinct f rom the CPU.
What is a Microcontroller?
A microcontroller is a small, low-cost microcomputer on a single VLSI integrated
circuit (IC) chip. It controls portions of an electronic system through a
microprocessor unit (MOU) and some peripherals. Microcontroller contains
processor cores with additional peripherals such as serial interface, time,
programmable I/O, and memory on the same chip. It interacts with other
components due to its functionality resulting f rom combining digital memory and a
digital processor with additional hardware. A microcontroller is also an Embedded
controller, a single-chip-computer, or a computer on a chip.

Components of a Microcontroller
Microcontrollers consist of the following mentioned components:

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Program Memory (ROM)

Data Memory (RAM)

Timers and Counters

I/O Ports (I/O – Input/Output)

Serial Communication Interface

Clock Circuit (Oscillator Circuit)

 Interrupt Mechanism

CAN (Controlled Area Network)

SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface)

I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit)

DAC (Digital to Analog Converter)

ADC (Analog to Digital Converter)

USB (Universal Serial Bus

Types of Microcontrollers
Let us learn about the different types of microcontrollers based on different
parameters.

1. Microcontrollers According to the size

8-bit Microcontroller: These are 8-bit microcontrollers that are 1
byte wide long. These microcontrollers use a word size of 8 bits.
Such a microcontroller can transfer and process information of 8 bits
in a single cycle. Each cycle has a final bit data width range of 0×00
– 0xFF (0-255). These can clock at decently high frequencies in
applications that do not require many rapid calculations. Here,
internal registers are 8 bits wide, and memory access also reads 8
bits at a time. However, an 8-bit microcontroller may sometimes have
a 16-bit address. ‘ATmega328p’ used in the Arduino Uno is an 8/16-bit
hybrid microcontroller.

16-bit microcontroller: These have more precision and better

performance than an 8-bit microcontroller. This is due to their bit
data width having a range of 0×0000 – 0xFFFF (0-65535) for each
cycle. It is a self-contained system that includes a processor,
 memory, and peripherals that can be embedded into any system. It
allows better management of data and calculations at once. They
have a faster clock speed and less power consumption than an 8-bit
microcontroller.

32-bit microcontroller: These microcontrollers can execute

functions with fewer instruction cycles due to their wider data bus.
These have more memory and peripherals such as USB, Ethernet
Mac, CAN, and SD/MMC that might not be available in 8-bit MCU.
These microcontrollers operate at higher frequencies between tens
to hundreds of Mhz.

2. Microcontrollers According to Memory Device

Embedded Memory Microcontroller: Any embedded system with a
microcontroller unit that consists of all functional blocks on a chip is
known as an embedded microcontroller.

External Memory Microcontroller: These microcontrollers do not

have all functional blocks on a chip.
Microcontrollers vs Microprocessors: Similarities
Between Microcontrollers and Microprocessors
Microprocessors and microcontrollers are different types of electronic devices with
several differences. However, both have a few similarities as well. The following
points highlight the similarities between microcontrollers and microprocessors:

Both microprocessor and microcontroller are semiconductor

components that are built on IC.

These are used in different modern electronic equipment to automate

processes.

Microcontrollers and microprocessors both have a CPU through which

both components process instructions and perform calculations.

Both consist of ALU, CPU, registers, address bus, data bus and
control bus.

Both microprocessors and microcontrollers are built with internal

registers. However, the number of registers is higher in
microcontrollers as compared to microprocessors.