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The main goal of this article is to focus on the difficulties encountered by SoC integrators when selecting an embedded microcontroller (MCU). Indeed, the selection is based on MCU performances, but the comparison can be difficult and compromised when considering all the parameters influencing these performances.In this article, we will detail how to assess rigorously power consumption, area, speed, code density and processing power for an embedded MCU. For each performance, we will describe how the parameters have to be selected to enable a fair comparison between processor cores.

For the past 20 years, a debate over the longevity and legitimacy of the 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) periodically erupts. The debate is usually sparked by the introduction of a higher-end processor or architecture and is almost always accompanied by overstated claims of a market moving away from 8-bit MCUs or transitioning to higher-end devices. It wasn't too long ago that the 16-bit market was doomed to disappear, due to pressures from 8-bit on the low end and 32-bit at the high end.

When considering the resolution required for an A/D converter (ADC) integrated in a microcontroller (MCU), embedded systems designers must balance cost and performance. Higher ADC resolution implies higher-cost MCUs, but in some cases you can use other features in the MCU to enhance the ADC performance via software. That approach lets you achieve higher resolution using an inexpensive integrated ADC. Here's how to use of oversampling to achieve extra bits of resolution for an ADC integrated in an MCU.

RoweBots Research, Inc., a supplier of tiny embedded POSIX RTOS products, today announced the launch and release of UnisonTM Version 5 and the open-source version of Unison Version 4. These two ultra-tiny embedded-Linux and POSIX compatible RTOSs open Renesas Technology Corp.’s SH-2A Microcontroller (MCU) family to Linux and POSIX compatible development for the first time.

A Product How-To on building a unified control environment using architectures such as TI’s Stellaris ARM Cortex-M3-based MCUs or Cortex-A8-based Sitara AM35x MPUs.

The embedded world is constantly changing. You might not have noticed, but if you take a minute to recall what a microcontroller system was like 10 years ago and compare it to today's latest microcontroller systems, you will find that PCB design, component packages, level of integration, clock speed, and memory size have all going through several generations of change. One of the hottest topics in this area is when will the last of remaining 8-bit microcontroller users start to move away from legacy architectures and move to modern 32-bit processor architectures like the ARM Cortex-M based microcontroller family. Over the last few years there has been a strong momentum of embedded developers starting the migration to 32-bit microcontrollers and, in this multi-part article, we will take a look at some of the factors accelerating this migration.

In many instances, the way embedded software is structured and how it interacts with the hardware in a system can have a profound effect on the transient immunity performance of a system. It can be impractical and costly to completely eliminate transients at the hardware level, so the system and software designers should plan for the occasional erroneous signal or power glitch that could cause the software to perform erratically. Erratic actions on the part of the software can be classified into two different categories: