Microprocessors or Microcontrollers... We are alike.... but not the same.

PIC10F is one of the world's smallest microcontrollers

• Generally microprocessors and microcontrollers differ in a number of ways, mainly in its functionality. Because microcontrollers can control a number of processes and devices independently whereas microprocessors need integration of additional peripherals with it.
  





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• This is the basic structure of a microprocessor. In order to carryout the functions, this needs to be integrated with other hardware components.

• Microprocessors are regarded as the heart of the system/computer. On order to act in such a way it needs RAM, ROM, registers, I/O devices; as said before it needs integration of other hardware. But in a microcontroller chip, it’s a whole different story. They have all the above components embedded inside; more generally it is defined as a device that includes a memory, & input / output devices and also a microprocessor, lined on a single chip. In modern microcontrollers, they contain Serial I/O, Timers, and Analogue to Digital Converters. Actually it’s more like a little computer inside a little chip.

This is a microcontroller chip; identify the microprocesser, integrated onto the microcontrolle surface.

• In simple terms a microprocessor is actually a ‘processor’. It is the ‘central processing unit’ of the computer as everyone knows. But a microcontroller is actually a ‘controller’ of a system; When we enter a certain user-defined task or a program into the microcontroller, it simply loads it into the memory, and runs/executes it.
  


• In addition, microcontrollers are cheaper
  


• Microprocessors -> General Purpose Machine
  Microcontrollers -> Embedded Systems

Microcontrollers are mainly used in embedded Systems.

So.. these are the main differences between microcontrollers and microprocessors.

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