Introduction to Microcontrollers and Architecture

Vocabulary and definitions related to microcontrollers and their architecture.

Microcontroller

A microcontroller is a compact integrated circuit designed to govern a specific operation in an embedded system.

Embedded System

An embedded system is a computer designed to perform dedicated functions or tasks within a larger mechanical or electrical system.

ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)

A component within a CPU that performs arithmetic and logical operations.

Instruction Cycle

The sequence of operations performed by the CPU to fetch, decode, and execute an instruction.

Firmware

A specific class of computer software that provides low-level control for a device's specific hardware.

Assembly Language

A low-level programming language that uses mnemonic codes and labels to represent machine-level code.

Data Bus

A communication system that transfers data between components of a computer or between computers.

Address Bus

A computer bus that is used to specify a physical address that the CPU is trying to access.

Control Bus

A communication system that transmits control signals from the CPU to other components in the computer.

RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)

A CPU design strategy that uses a small, highly optimized instruction set.

CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing)

A CPU design strategy that uses a more extensive set of instructions.

Tristate Output

An output that can be in one of three states: high, low, or high impedance, which effectively disconnects the output.

PIC18F45K22

An 8-bit microcontroller used for educational purposes in microcontroller programming and embedded system design.

Hexadecimal

A base-16 number system using digits from 0 to 9 and letters A to F to represent values.

Pull-up Resistor

A resistor used to ensure that a pin is at a high logical level when it is not being actively driven low.

High-Impedance State

A state that allows the pin to effectively be disconnected from the circuit to prevent interference.

Program Memory

The storage area of a microcontroller where firmware and instructions are kept for execution.

Debugging

The process of detecting and correcting errors in the software code.

Simulation

The use of a model to replicate the behavior of a system, often used in software development before hardware implementation.

Register

A small amount of storage available directly in the processor to hold temporary data.