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How Microcontrollers are different than Microprocessors?

Learn: What are microcontrollers and microprocessors, what are the differences between microcontrollers and microprocessors? By Vandana Sharma Last updated : May 12, 2023

In 1971, Intel commercialized the very first Microprocessor which was a 4 bit 4004 microprocessor. When we study Microprocessors and Microcontrollers we generally think that how both of these are different than each other? So here is the answer of this question!

By Definition: Microprocessor is an integrated circuit on a silicon chip which performs all the functions of CPU and a microcontroller is an integrated circuit intended to carry out a specific operation in an embedded system.

Block Diagram of Microprocessor
(refer:http://www.electronicshub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BLOCK-DIA-OF-MP.jpg)

Internal Structure of Microprocessor
(refer:http://www.electronicshub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/INTERNAL-STRUCTURE-OF-MP.jpg)

Various Architectures of Microprocessors are discussed in different ways in different books, but the most common are Von Neumann and Harvard Architectures. Old Microprocessors made use of Von Neumann Model but it faced many drawbacks one of them was that of using the same Bus for accessing Data and Instruction due to which data and instruction couldn’t be accessed at the same time. This drawback was removed in Harvard Models.

Von Neumann and Harvard Architecture
(refer:http://www.electronicshub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/VON-NEUMANN-VS-HARVARD.png)

Harvard Architecture
(Refer: fivedots.coe.psu.ac.th)

Read: Difference Between Microprocessors and Microcontrollers