Microsystems

Microcontrollers & Embedded Systems

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Author: John Mulindi

  • CPU Registers

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    John Mulindi
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    A register is basically an n-bit binary storage element. CPU registers are usually used to temporarily hold data and memory address values that might be required in the near future. Since registers are located within the CPU, they can be accessed more quickly and more efficiently than external memory. Furthermore, since the number of registers…

  • Development Boards for PIC Microcontrollers Programming

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    John Mulindi
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    Development boards are helpful microcontroller learning tools. Simple development boards contain just a microcontroller and the required clock circuitry. More sophisticated development boards contain LEDs, pushbuttons, LCD, serial ports, USB port, power supply circuit, device programming hardware, and so forth. Some of the commercially available PIC18 microcontroller development boards include: PICDEM 2 Plus This development…

  • Computer Programming Model

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    John Mulindi
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    The programming model of a computer system refers to the assembly language programmer’s view of the system. From the programmer’s outlook, a computer is a collection of registers and memory for storing information, a set of instructions to manipulate data and control program flow, and various types of data that can be manipulated by the…

  • Design Metrics Employed in Embedded Systems

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    John Mulindi
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    We have a number of design metrics you need to put into consideration when designing embedded systems. The following are some of the key design metrics used in embedded systems: Performance The instruction execution time in the system measures the performance. Smaller execution time means higher performance. For example, for a digital camera, shooting a…

  • How Microprocessors differs from Microcontrollers

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    John Mulindi
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    In terms of functionality, for the microprocessor to be used, other components such as memory or components that provide I/O capability, that is, components for receiving and sending data must be added to it. On the other hand, the microcontroller is designed in such a way to incorporate all the necessary components in one chip.…

  • PIC Microcontroller Input-Output Ports Programming in C

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    John Mulindi
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    PIC microcontroller input-output ports are named PORTA, PORTB, PORTC, etc. depending on the type of microcontroller you are using. Port pins can be in analog or digital mode. In analog mode, ports are input only and the in-built analog-to-digital converter and multiplexer circuits are used. In digital mode, a port pin can be configured as…

  • Classification of Computers

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    John Mulindi
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    Computers can be classified into various types, depending upon the technology used or the size and capacity or the applications for which they are designed. Classification of Computers on the Basis of Applications Based on the purpose or application, computers are often classified as general-purpose computers and special-purpose or dedicated computers. General-Purpose Computers General-purpose computers…

  • Digital Computer Hardware Organization

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    John Mulindi
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    What is a Digital Computer? A digital computer is a device capable of solving problems and manipulating information under the direction of a given program of instructions. The hardware of a digital computer is a set of digital logic circuits that receives information from one or more sources, processes this information, and sends the results…

  • Basic Elements of an Arduino UNO Revision 3 Board

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    John Mulindi
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    Arduino is a small-sized microcontroller board with supplementary components that has been designed to facilitate the use of a microcontroller in control projects. The basic board, Arduino UNO Revision 3, uses the 8-bit Atmel microcontroller, ATmega328P. The board has a universal serial bus (USB) plug to enable it to be directly connected to a computer…

  • Networked Embedded Systems

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    John Mulindi
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    Each specific IO device can be connected to others using specific interfaces, for instance, an IO device connects and is interfaced to an LCD controller, keyboard controller, or print controller using specific interface. Bus communication simplifies the number of connections and provides a common protocol for interconnecting different or same type of IO devices. Any…