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Amphibionics 03 3/24/03 8:11 AM Page 25
3

Microcontrollers

and PIC

Programming

Microcontrollers

The microcontroller is an entire computer on a single chip. The
advantage of designing around a microcontroller is that a large
amount of electronics needed for certain applications can be elim-
inated. This makes it the ideal device for use with mobile robots
and other applications where computing power is needed. The
microcontroller is popular because the chip can be reprogrammed
easily to perform different functions, and is very inexpensive. The
microcontroller contains all the basic components that make up a
computer. It contains a central processing unit (CPU), read-only
memory, random-access memory (RAM), arithmetic logic unit,
input and output lines, timers, serial and parallel ports, digital-to-
analog converters, and analog-to-digital converters. The scope of
this book is to discuss the specifics of how the microcontroller can
be used as the processor for the various robots that will be built.

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