Microcontrollers are a type of computer chip that are used in many electronic devices. They are commonly found in items such as toys, appliances, and cars. There are two main types of microcontrollers: 8 bit and 16 bit. The difference between the two is the size of the data bus. A data bus is responsible for transferring information between the microcontroller and other devices. A 16 bit microcontroller has a data bus that is twice as wide as an 8 bit microcontroller, which means it can transfer more information at once. This makes it better suited for handling more complex tasks. However, 8 bit microcontrollers are cheaper and consume less power than 16 bit ones. So, which one you choose depends on your needs and budget.
What is 8 Bit Microcontroller?
A microcontroller is a computer on a chip that can be used to control devices or systems. They are often used in automobiles, appliances, and industrial equipment. Microcontrollers are available in a variety of sizes, from 4-bit to 32-bit, with 8-bit microcontrollers being the most common. As the name suggests, an 8-bit microcontroller has an 8-bit data bus, which means it can process data in 8-bit chunks. This makes 8-bit microcontrollers slightly slower than their 32-bit counterparts, but they are much cheaper and require less power. In addition, most 8-bit microcontrollers come with on-chip flash memory, which can be used to store program code and data.
What is 16 Bit Microcontroller?
16 Bit Microcontroller is a microcontroller that has 16 bit wide data paths. A 16 bit microcontroller can process 2^16 or 65536 instructions per second. The 16 bit microcontroller was first introduced in 1984 by Intel. 16 bit microcontrollers are used in a variety of applications such as automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. 16 bit microcontrollers typically have on-chip memory (ROM, RAM, and/or EEPROM) and I/O ports. Some 16 bit microcontrollers also have an on-chip Analog-to-Digital converter (ADC). 16 bit microcontrollers are available from several manufacturers such as Atmel, Freescale, and Microchip.
Difference between 8 Bit and 16 Bit Microcontroller
There is a big difference between 8 bit and 16 bit microcontrollers. The main difference is that 8 bit microcontrollers can only process 8 bits of data at a time, whereas 16 bit microcontrollers can process 16 bits of data at a time. This means that 16 bit microcontrollers are much faster and more powerful than 8 bit microcontrollers. They can also handle more complex tasks and programs. However, they are also more expensive and require more power to run. So, if you need a powerful microcontroller for a complex task, then a 16 bit microcontroller is the way to go. But if you just need a basic microcontroller for a simple task, then an 8 bit microcontroller will suffice.
Conclusion
The 8-bit microcontroller is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Its limitations are causing it to be replaced by 16-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers, which have more capabilities. If you are still using an 8-bit microcontroller in your designs, it may be time to consider upgrading.
