Living with microcontrollers: A day in your life.AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 1995--The average American comes in contact with more than 50 microcontrollers on a daily basis. Here's how microcontrollers play a role in your life. On Monday mornings, you wake up to an alarm clock containing a microcontroller A single chip that contains the processor (the CPU), non-volatile memory for the program (ROM or flash), volatile memory for input and output (RAM), a clock and an I/O control unit. unit (MCU (1) (MicroController Unit) A computer on a single chip. See microcontroller. (2) (Multipoint Control Unit) A device that is used to moderate a videoconference of three or more end points (users at computers or groups of users ) that controls the display and time and generates the alarm tone. After arising, you proceed from the bedroom to the kitchen where a coffee maker with a timer timer, n radiographic timing device that functions as an automatic exposure timer and a switch to control the current to the high-tension transformer and filament transformer. The face of the timer is calibrated in seconds and fractions of seconds. containing an MCU has already brewed your morning java. You open up your new refrigerator, which contains MCUs to regulate the temperature of the cream for your coffee, as well as the ice maker and defrosting. You then throw a Pop-Tart in the MCU-controlled microwave. Then you wander to the livingroom, where you pick up a remote control containing an MCU and, with the flick of a finger, turn on your television, which contains an MCU that controls the on-screen on·screen or on-screen adj. & adv. 1. As shown on a movie, television, or display screen. 2. Within public view; in public. display, channel selection and other controls, to learn what is happening in today's news. You also set the VCR VCR: see videocassette recorder. VCR in full videocassette recorder Electromechanical device that records, stores on a videotape cassette, and plays back on a TV set recorded images and sound. to record a show. The VCR contains MCUs that control the time, tape speed and VCR operating mode. Before leaving, you test your new CO/smoke detector detector: see particle detector. containing an MCU. On the way out the door to the office, you throw your coffee cup into the dishwasher, which also contains MCUs that control the cycles and water temperature; trip over your child's toy containing an MCU that generates speech and controls motion; and activate your MCU-controlled alarm system that monitors for intruders and open doors and windows Doors and Windows is a multimedia disk by the Irish band The Cranberries. Track listing
Once in your luxury car, containing an average of 16 MCUs, you hit the remote control for the garage door, also containing an MCU that monitors the door-mount control and the "emergency" stop. You drive off to the office and listen to the radio, which contains MCUs. At the traffic light, a road sensor A device that measures or detects a real-world condition, such as motion, heat or light and converts the condition into an analog or digital representation. An optical sensor detects the intensity or brightness of light, or the intensity of red, green and blue for color systems. tells an MCU that you are waiting for the light to change to green. On your way, an airplane airplane, aeroplane, or aircraft, heavier-than-air vehicle, mechanically driven and fitted with fixed wings that support it in flight through the dynamic action of the air. flies overhead. Several hundred to well over 1,000 MCUs are contained in airplanes. In fact, newer configurations have one or two MCUs at each seat for the individual phone and monitor. In the office, your telephone, containing an MCU that decodes the keyboard and drives the display, rings off the hook continually. Since some people cannot get through to you via the telephone, they try you on your beeper beeper - pager and cellular phone, which also contain MCUs that control sound or vibration, drive the display and control information. You even receive some email on your desktop computer, which of course contains MCUs that control the monitor and wireless mouse and decode (1) To convert coded data back into its original form. Contrast with encode. (2) Same as decrypt. See cryptography. (cryptography) decode - To apply decryption. the keyboard. At 5 p.m., you leave the office and go home. After relaxing to the stereo, which contains MCUs that select the station and handle the controls, you head out to the garage and use a power drill, containing MCUs that change the drill speed, to complete a home improvement project you are working on. All told, it is only 8 p.m., and you have enjoyed the benefits of reliable electronic devices containing MCUs, making your day more efficient and providing a higher quality of life. -0- MICROCONTROLLER FACTOIDS On March 21, Motorola's CSIC (Customer Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "c-sick." Another term for ASIC, which was coined by Motorola. Some feel this is a more accurate description of an ASIC chip. See ASIC. Microcontroller Division will deliver its 1 billionth unit. Following are some facts regarding the ubiquitous use of microcontrollers in everyday life. 1) The average consumer comes in contact with nearly 50 microcontrollers on a daily basis. 2) Five years ago, the average consumer came in contact with only about 10 microcontrollers on a daily basis. 3) Ten years ago, the average consumer came in contact with fewer than three microcontrollers on a daily basis. 4) Microcontrollers are used in a wide variety of products, including automobiles, phones, computers, remote controls, utility meters A utility meter is any of the following metering devices used on utility mains:
cards, toys, thermostats, security systems, TVs, VCRs, video games, stereos, CD players, power drills, appliances and many, many more. 5) The industries that make the most use of microcontrollers include: Automotive Industrial Telephone (especially cellular) Consumer Computer 6) Industries that are being revolutionized due to the use and availability of microcontrollers include: Telephone Credit Card Industrial Control 7) Microcontrollers have had the greatest impact on the telephone industry. The credit card industry is on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of a revolution with the new "Smart" cards, which contain microcontrollers that store secure data on individuals and their accounts. 8) Microcontrollers were first developed in 1976, primarily for automotive use. A primary function was, and still is, compliance with federal emission standards Emission standards are requirements that set specific limits to the amount of pollutants that can be released into the environment. Many emission standards focus on regulating pollutants released by automobiles (motor cars) and other powered vehicles but they can also regulate . 9) There is no fixed size for a microcontroller; however, they tend to be smaller than many current microprocessor and memory-integrated circuits. The overwhelming majority are less than 1/4 inch on each side. 10) 1995 model automobiles contain an average of 10 microcontrollers per car. 11) In the 1995 luxury-class automobiles, the average number of microcontollers employed is 16. 12) Several hundred to well over 1,000 microcontrollers are used in every commercial jet airplane. Newer planes have one or two microcontrollers at each seat for the phone channel and volume control and individual monitor. 13) One microcontroller is used in the average microwave oven. 14) One microcontroller is used in the average coffee maker with a timer. 15) The average home computer contains one microcontroller in the keyboard, one in the monitor, one in the mouse or trackball A stationary pointing device that contains a movable ball rotated with the fingers or palm. From one to three keys are located in various positions depending on the unit. Years ago, Kensington Microware popularized the trackball with its Turbo Mouse for the Macintosh. , one in the internal hard drive and at least one in each peripheral (i.e., printer, modem, etc.). 16) Microcontroller development started at Motorola in 1976. 17) Motorola is the leader in 8-bit microcontrollers. 18) Describe what life would be like without microcontrollers: Without microcontrollers, cellular telephones, TV remote controls and similar equipment would be big, heavy and expensive. Your car would be a lot more expensive and inefficient, and exhaust pollution would be much higher. Computers and peripheral equipment would be too expensive for people to own home PCs. CONTACT: Motorola CSIC Microcontroller Division Capital Relations Audrey Hodges/Bonnie Quintanilla, 805/494-0830, ext. 432 or 411 email: audrey("at-sign")caprel.com or Motorola MCU Information Line 800/765-7795, ext. 805 |
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