Latest Views on 8-bit MCU Market Development 2022

While the number of MCUs increases, and what are the advantages of 8-bit MCUs to stabilize the market? How to select a suitable microcontroller in 2022? In this article, our team will compare 8-bit MCU and 32-bit MCU to answer this question. Here we go.

According to the analysis of market-related data, 32-bit MCUs have been on the rise in recent years, but 8-bit MCUs still account for more than 40% of the global MCU market every year. On the website of a well-known electronics retailer, the number of 8-bit MCUs to choose from is roughly equal to the number of 32-bit MCUs. 32-bit MCUs are in a good state in the current market. We can see that 8-bit MCUs have not only disappeared, but also have their own market. Now there are many MCU manufacturers and semiconductor companies that provide a large number of 8-bit MCUs in the market.

8-bit MCUs have had significant advantages over 32-bit MCUs for over 30 years and still dominate embedded systems today. For 8-bit MCUs, the market is more about control power than processing power. There were also 16-bit MCUs in the past, but under the competition of 8-bit and 32-bit MCUs, 16-bit MCUs were squeezed in terms of specifications, features, advantages, etc.

8-bit and 32-bit Options

For many embedded designs, the advantage of 8-bit MCU is that it is easier to design than 32-bit, and software and hardware that follow 8-bit architecture are also simpler than 32-bit.

Looking back, 32-bit MCUs began to gain market attention due to price drops and performance improvements. These outstanding performance and low power consumption make 32-bit MCU irresistible. 32-bit MCUs were not easy to see in the past, but 32-bit products can be seen in some of the current products.

A question that has long plagued designers is what is the difference between 8-bit and 32-bit MCUs, and how to make the right choice when designing. It is well known that 8-bit MCUs are superior to 32-bit MCUs in terms of physical size, power consumption and cost. Which MCU you should use depends on the design project itself or system requirements. In fact, there is not much difference between 8-bit and 32-bit MCUs currently in terms of cost, and one is more powerful than the other in terms of performance. However, it is important to understand the fundamental differences between these two microcontrollers in order to make the right choice when designing.

Generally speaking, an 8-bit MCU can only handle 8 bits of data at any given time. In theory, a 32-bit MCU can handle four times the amount of data. From a technical point of view, a 32-bit MCU can certainly improve data processing efficiency. However, when choosing between 8-bit MCUs and 32-bit MCUs, a big difference is the breadth of data processing. In general, when faced with the question of choosing between an 8-bit MCU and a 32-bit MCU, considering the following differences can help you make a good decision.

1) Cost and Size 

First, we need to consider system requirements from multiple levels. Obviously, in some cases, an 8-bit MCU is sufficient. In particular, the following programs need to be installed in memory below 8KB, the budget requirements are low, the system and code and data volume are small, and factors such as cost, physical size, power consumption, etc. must be considered. If necessary, an 8-bit MCU may be enough. enough.

Generally speaking, 8-bit MCUs are cheaper and smaller than 32-bit MCUs, but in recent years, the cost of 32-bit MCUs has become more and more competitive. In other words, using a 32-bit MCU opens up more possibilities for your application at the same price. In terms of overall power consumption, slower 8-bit MCUs consistently outperform faster 32-bit MCUs.

If you still can't decide, you might as well look at it from this perspective. Basically, as price competition for 32-bit MCUs intensifies, they are approaching 8-bit MCUs in price, or you can buy cheaper 32-bit MCUs for the price of 8-bit MCUs.

A 32-bit MCU can run four times faster and perform more complex operations, but you have to pay other costs for higher computing performance. In other words, the power consumption also increases at the same time. Remember that in embedded systems (especially battery-powered devices like IoT), every unexpected increase in power consumption can put a heavy strain on the entire system. So, if the system requirements for an MCU are in the gray area between 8-bit and 32-bit, and power consumption is a particular concern, the allure of an 8-bit MCU is practically impossible for designers to say no to.

2) Running Speed and Storage

One of the main advantages of a 32-bit MCU over an 8-bit MCU is its superior processing speed. A typical 8-bit MCU usually runs at 8 MHz, while a 32-bit MCU runs at hundreds of MHz. These speed differences in data processing can be ignored by simply turning on the mechanical relay using the MCU. However, these speed differences become noticeable when running applications that require a lot of data processing. For example, an access controller that handles thousands of jobs per day requires a 32-bit MCU.

The advantage of 8-bit MCUs is that they are cheap and easy to use. In fact, they have been used in many applications for 40 years and are still popular today. However, if you are working on a job that requires a lot of internal random access memory (RAM), you may want to replace the 8-bit MCU with a 32-bit MCU. A 32-bit MCU typically has eight times as much RAM as an 8-bit product. So, for example, if an engineer needs a huge buffer to store audio data, a 32-bit MCU is a good choice.

3) Add Peripheral Equipment

Usually, a system using MCU is also called an embedded system. Fundamentals of embedded system design, including adding required peripherals based on project requirements. If the required peripherals include interfaces such as Ethernet, USB, UART, and CAN bus, then an 8-bit MCU is clearly not enough. Using an 8-bit MCU requires additional chips for these communication interfaces, which can be more expensive than using a separate 32-bit MC.

32-bit MCUs are generally more feature-rich than 8-bit MCUs. Excellent processing speed enables the 32-bit MCU to efficiently handle multiple external devices. But be aware that using a 32-bit MCU will consume more power, especially with all external devices turned on.

4) Simplicity is a Big Advantage

8-bit MCUs have a simple architecture. In contrast, 32-bit MCUs with better processing power are also burdened with the original sin of complex architecture. There is a very important element to the design. this is very simple. The simplicity of an 8-bit MCU yields several advantages. For many embedded designs, the advantage of 8-bit is that it is easier to design than 32-bit, and software and hardware that follow an 8-bit architecture are simpler than 32-bit.

Also, since there may not be free design tools for a particular MCU, and paid tools may cost hundreds or thousands of dollars (depending on the size of the design), respectively, development tools are required to make the design successful or not. Therefore, free and open tools have a lot of appeal.

Based on the above content, it can be seen that 8-bit MCU still has many advantages. How many MCUs are selected by customers depends on the needs of the product.