The 8-Bit Microcontroller Is Still Thriving

Overview of the 8-Bit Microcontroller

After more than 50 years, the 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) continues to be the backbone of embedded design. As the embedded marketplace has become increasingly complex over the years, the 8-bit MCU has evolved to meet a variety of system needs. Today, our line of 8-bit PIC^® and AVR^® MCUs features flexible on-chip Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) and intelligent analog peripherals that can increase the capabilities of any control system while reducing power consumption, cutting development time and accelerating time to market.

Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs)

A CIP is a piece of dedicated hardware that can operate independently of the Central Processing Unit (CPU). The CIPs on our 8-bit MCUs enable you to create low-power solutions for things like sensor node, real-time control, connected and other applications. These CIPs offload the CPU, which lowers overall power consumption while also providing deterministic responses. CIPs reduce code size, save development time and provide more memory space for your application. 

Intelligent Analog Peripherals

From housekeeping, system management and monitoring to “main controller” duties in complex designs, MCUs with integrated analog peripherals enable designers to bring functions typically performed off-chip onto the main MCU to improve system response and reduce Bill Of Material (BOM) costs. Among other functions, our intelligent analog peripherals can automate signal-analysis tasks, provide compensation info to digital Pulse-Width Modulators (PWMs) and provide auto-shutdown capability without CPU intervention.

Ease of Use

One of the easiest ways to reduce software-development time is to write fewer lines of code in the first place. 8-bit PIC and AVR MCUs are designed to make more efficient use of their peripherals and reduce the number of lines of code necessary to implement common functions. This makes the development process shorter since coding is a snap and the hardware’s functionality has been validated from the factory.

Microchip 8-bit MCUs allow designers to bring their ideas to life—no matter their skill level. We offer a broad portfolio of uniquely configurable MCUs, integrated development environments with production-ready code generation tools and rapid prototyping hardware. This complete package of silicon, development environments and industry knowledge enables you to add functionality and robustness to designs while shortening the overall design cycle.

Power

Power consumption is a critical consideration when designing any type of application. A major design constraint for embedded electronic systems, such as wireless sensors, automotive, household appliances and medical devices, is power consumption.

The lower run-mode power consumption of the 8-bit MCU guarantees this tiny powerhouse maintains a lengthy battery life. Additionally, most modern 8-bit MCUs have a balance of peripheral features that allow them to handle more tasks in hardware, supporting longer CPU sleep-mode times. In fact, several common applications require nearly zero CPU uptime from newer PIC and AVR MCUs, giving the 8-bit the advantage.

8-Bit Is Here to Stay

Designers who are looking to create innovative designs are turning to our product families of PIC and AVR MCUs because of their processing power, ability to easily communicate with other chips and analog peripherals that have been built to be exceptionally configurable without having to make changes to the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). These devices combine Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)-like capabilities with a simple development experience that extends traditional MCU capabilities and allows them to be configured as smart peripheral chips. Smart peripherals, like the software-controlled operational amplifier found on the PIC16F171 family, the Multi-Voltage I/O (MVIO) and Analog-to-Digital Converter with Computation (ADCC), add value to applications that otherwise would not use traditional MCUs.  

The bottom line is that there will always be space in the embedded marketplace for inexpensive, energy-efficient 8-bit MCUs. In fact, in 2022 we reinforced our commitment to the 8-bit PIC and AVR MCUs by releasing five new product families and more than 60 new devices to offer embedded designers simple solutions to their most common problems. Visit our 8-bit microcontroller web page to learn more about the our 8-bit portfolio.

•                                                                                                                                                                                 Article and picture from Microchip-Steve Kennelly