Advanced Industrial Control Processing Intro: What Engineers Need to Know About

Microcontrollers, MPUs, and FPGAs

12 March 2012Clive (Max) Maxfield

Alternative Computational Engines

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• Microprocessors (µPs / MPUs)• Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)• Digital Signal Processors (DSPs)• Graphical Processing Units (GPUs)• ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs• FPGAs

Microprocessors (µPs / MPUs)

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CPU

ROM

RAM

Input PortOutput Port

Control busData bus

Address bus

From theoutside world

To theoutside world

ClockReset

Microprocessors (µPs / MPUs)

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Microprocessors (µPs / MPUs)

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Microprocessors (µPs / MPUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Microcontrollers (µCs / MCUs)

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Digital Signal Processors (DSPs)

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Graphical Processing Units (GPUs)

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ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs

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ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs

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ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs

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ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs

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ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs

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ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs

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ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs

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FPGAs

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FPGAs

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FPGAs

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Further Reading

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MPUs and FPGAs Provide New Motor Control Optionshttp://www.digikey.com/us/en/techzone/microcontroller/resources/articles/MPUs-and-FPGAs-Provide-New-Motor-Control-Options.html