Industrial Control Designline Blog
MCU Table
Steve Bitton
9/17/2009 11:57 PM EDT
Choosing a microcontroller is one of the most important aspects of
early stage system design. The chosen microcontroller can determine the
starting point of the schematic design; the overall clock speed;
how many and what type of peripheral components are needed;
the instruction set or operating system that will be used; and perhaps
most importantly--the software design environment.
And how does one choose an MCU? This is a question that many systems designers wish was an easier one to answer. When getting feedback from the audience while preparing the Fundamentals of Microcontrollers course, it came up as a big issue. In response to the diverse market demand, MCU vendors have introduced many devices to address new markets, or to improve the performance for existing applications. So there are just too many options currently available, and any advice on how to choose the right device for a particular application becomes very valuable
TechInsights cannot tell you exactly which MCU device will be the best for your specific application. But what we can do is profile some of the recent MCU releases in this spreadsheet (click here). This MCU summary table looks at some of the important aspects that are considered when a systems designer needs to choose an MCU for their design including price, processor, serial I/O, analog peripherals, and target applications.
This is just a small portion of the MCUs that are currently available. Let us know what kind of information (or even what kind of devices) you would like to see in tables on EE Times or TechOnline. Some other aspects of the microcontroller world that could be worth exploring include design tools, development / evaluation kits, and code compatibility. Email Patrick Mannion at pmannion@techinsights.com with your feedback.
And how does one choose an MCU? This is a question that many systems designers wish was an easier one to answer. When getting feedback from the audience while preparing the Fundamentals of Microcontrollers course, it came up as a big issue. In response to the diverse market demand, MCU vendors have introduced many devices to address new markets, or to improve the performance for existing applications. So there are just too many options currently available, and any advice on how to choose the right device for a particular application becomes very valuable
TechInsights cannot tell you exactly which MCU device will be the best for your specific application. But what we can do is profile some of the recent MCU releases in this spreadsheet (click here). This MCU summary table looks at some of the important aspects that are considered when a systems designer needs to choose an MCU for their design including price, processor, serial I/O, analog peripherals, and target applications.
This is just a small portion of the MCUs that are currently available. Let us know what kind of information (or even what kind of devices) you would like to see in tables on EE Times or TechOnline. Some other aspects of the microcontroller world that could be worth exploring include design tools, development / evaluation kits, and code compatibility. Email Patrick Mannion at pmannion@techinsights.com with your feedback.
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Comments
Walter Greene
9/18/2009 1:52 PM EDT
One tends to use the tools you know.
If you (or your predecessor) had the foresight to pick a processor vendor that covers a large spectrum of potential performance needs the shortest path (inertia) is to stay with the same vendor. Not having to buy new tools, skipping the learning curve for a new debugger, and knowing how documentation is organized count for a lot.
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BADHABIT
9/19/2009 2:07 PM EDT
I would have to agree with Walter. Why spend all that extra timne learning how to use another vendors toolchain when you have already spent the time with the one you learned.
Odds are good that the mfgr you have chosen has enough micros to keep you satisfied and on the front edge of technology or else they wouldn't be much of an MCU mfgr.
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YevgeniT
10/12/2009 8:50 AM EDT
The table omits some significant microcontroller feature: Ethernet port.
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