Microcontroller vs Microprocessor

Namaste!(Hello) and welcome back to another article on Robu. In this article we will be discussing about the differences between two similar yet different things namely microcontroller and microprocessor.

The function of each is similar in most fashion but they show some differences. Which I will be covering in the article. It will make things a bit clear what you want to choose for your project or purpose.

MUST READ ON MICROCONTROLLERS:

• What is a microcontroller?
• 8051 microcontroller

Microcontroller	Microprocessor
Microcontroller is the chief component of an embedded system	micro-processor is the primary component of Computer
Has external processor with built in IO and memory components.	Doesn't come with memory and IO components
Low processing power	High Processing power
Single purpose	General Purpose
Typically 8/16 bit	Typically 32/64 bit
Due to built in IO and memory components, consists of small and simple circuitry	Due to External IO and memory components, circuit is large and complex
can be used in tiny systems hence can be used in portable and small projects	cannot be used in tiny systems hence occupies big space
Cost of the system is less	Cost of the system is more
Due to internal components , it is power saving and is suitable for low power circuits that can be run through batteries	Due to external components , it is power hungry and not suitable for low power circuits
Micro controllers come with power saving function to reduce the power consumption even further.	Most micro processor don't come with power saving function
Due to internal IO and memory, the processing takes less time	Due to external IO and memory, the processing takes more time
Micro-controller have more registers so it is easy to write code	Micro processor have less registers , so maximum operations are memory based.
It is based on Harvard achitecture where program memory and data memory are seperate	It is von-neuman based architecture so the program and memory are in the same storage.
Used in MP3 player, Washing Machine, Calculator, Automation,etc..	Used in PC, development boards, anti lock braking systems, ecu of car, etc...

So, above were a few differences between Microcontroller and microprocessor. I hope it clarified some of your thoughts and gave you a bit knowledge on the subject.

If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let us know in the comment section.