Basics of Microcontrollers

Course outline
Microcontrollers are semiconductors that integrates a central processing unit (CPU), memory, and input/output ports (I/O ports) into a single package. They are used to control a very wider range of electronic products, including home appliances, automobiles, and industrial equipment. Mastering the basics of microcontrollers requires understanding the microcontroller as a semiconductor, and also the software that it runs, which describes the CPU’s arithmetic operations and control instructions. This course is structured to help you understand all the basics about microcontrollers and their fundamental functions.

Target reader
People who are interested in microcontrollers in general.

Learning time for this course
2.5 hours approx.

Chapter 1 Basics of Digital Circuits

1-1. Digital Value
1-1-1. Digital Value: Binary and Decimal
1-1-2. Digital Value: Units of Binary Data
1-1-3. Digital Value: Notation Method of Data
1-1-4. Digital Value: Conversion Method of the Data
1-2. Logic Circuit
1-2-1. Logic Circuit: AND Circuit
1-2-2. Logic Circuit: OR Circuit
1-2-3. Logic Circuit: NOT Circuit
1-2-4. Logic Circuit: Exclusive OR (XOR) Circuit
1-2-5. Logic Circuit: 3 State Buffer (1)
1-2-6. Logic Circuit: 3 State Buffer (2)
1-2-7. Logic Circuit: Application Example of Logic Circuits
1-2-8. Logic Circuit: RS flip-flop Circuit

Chapter 2 History and Five Elements of Microcontrollers

2-1. History of Microcontrollers
2-1-1. History of Microcontrollers: Large Scale Integrated Circuits and Microcontrollers
2-2. 5 Elements of Microcontrollers
2-3. CPU (Calculation, Control)
2-4. Memory (Storage)
2-5. Memory Type (RAM & ROM)
2-6. I/O (Input, Output)
2-7. Bus Line
2-8. Bus Line Type

Chapter 3 Hardware and Software of Microcontrollers

3-1. The Role of Software
3-2. Execution of Software
3-3. Programming Language
3-3-1. Programming Language: Machine Language
3-3-2. Programming Language: Assembly Language
3-3-3. Programming Language: C Language

Chapter 4 Toshiba Microcontrollers, Example of Core (TLCS-870/C1)

4-1. Overall Configuration of the CPU
4-1-1. Overall Configuration of the CPU: CPU Core (1)
4-1-2. Overall Configuration of the CPU: CPU Core (2)
4-1-3. Overall Configuration of the CPU: Program Counter
4-1-4. Overall Configuration of the CPU: General-purpose Register
4-1-5. Overall Configuration of the CPU: PSW (Flag)
4-1-6. Overall Configuration of the CPU: Stack and Stack Pointer
4-2. Interrupt Processing
4-2-1. Interrupt Processing: Interrupt Type
4-2-2. Interrupt Processing: Maskable Interrupt
4-2-3. Interrupt Processing: Non Maskable Interrupt

Chapter 5 Development Environment of Microcontrollers

5-1. System Development Procedure
5-1-1. System Development Procedure: Software Development
5-1-2. System Development Procedure: Test that Combines the Hardware and Software
5-1-3. System Development Procedure: Emulator
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