[2022] The Complete Guide about MCU VS MPU and How to Choose

Software designers can value gorgeous code, but what regarding the hardware that makes it all tick? Today, it appears like a lot of the emphasis in the technology sector gets on software, however none of it can exist without hardware, specifically semiconductors as well as PCBs. Installed systems are on different, and they're unique because many of these systems depend heavily on software designers to work efficiently.

In this article, our team will clarify the difference between microprocessor and  the microcontroller, the  overview of MCU vs MPU Implementation and how to choose. Here we go!

Ⅰ What is MCU vs MPU?

One important factor to consider in embedded systems style is selection of a CPU, as well as the two primary alternatives that are easy to apply are MCUs and also MPUs. Instead of taking a look at a chipset centered around a CPU or GPU, an MCU or MPU can be an adaptable, extremely integrated choice for hosting your application. If you're unsure whether to make use of an MCU vs MPU, we have actually created a wide comparison of these parts. With any luck, these guidelines can help you determine which sort of host controller is ideal for your system and understand the degree of advancement involved in each.

1. What is Microcontroller (MCU)？

MCU is the abbreviation of Micro Control Unit, which refers to microcontroller. With the emergence and development of large-scale integrated circuits, the CPU, RAM, ROM, timer and input and output I/O pins of a computer are integrated on a chip, such as the 51, STC, Cortex-M chips, which contain RAM and ROM in addition to the CPU, and can directly add simple devices (resistors, capacitors) to form a minimum system to run code.

The ARM (Cortex-A series) can't run the code directly, because it is essentially an enhanced version of the CPU, and the corresponding RAM and ROM must be added.

Application: MCU can be seen in cell phones, PC peripherals, remote controls, automotive electronics, industrial stepper motors, robot arm control, etc.

2. What is Microprocessor（MPU)?

MPU (Micro Processor Unit), called a microprocessor (not a microcontroller), usually represents a powerful CPU (let's understand it as an enhanced CPU), but not a chip designed for any specific computing purpose. Such chips are frequently the core CPUs of personal computers as well as high-end workstations. For example, Intel X86, some Cortex-A chips of ARM such as Freescale i.MX6, Allwinner A20, TI AM335X, etc. are MPUs.

In microcomputers, the CPU is integrated in a piece of ultra-large scale integrated circuit chip, the microprocessor is inserted in the cpu slot of the motherboard. The 16-bit machine and 32-bit machine are usually referred to as the width of the internal data bus of the microprocessor in that computer, which is the number of bits of binary numbers that the CPU can operate simultaneously.

Currently commonly used CPUs are 64-bit, that is, they can transmit 64 bits of binary numbers at a time. The functional structure of the microprocessor mainly includes: operator, controller, register three parts: the main function of the operator is to carry out arithmetic operations and logic operations.

The controller is the command facility of the whole microcomputer system, as well as its major role is to manage the implementation of the program. It includes the decoding and storage of instructions and the completion of the specified operations as required by the instructions, i.e. instruction control, timing control and operation control. Registers are utilized to keep operands, intermediate information as well as result information.

MPU manufacturers: NXP (NXP), Texas Instruments (TI) (TEXAS INSTRUMENTS), etc.

Ⅱ The Difference Between MCU vs MPU

The difference between MPUs and MCUs is essentially due to the different application positioning, and the two types of devices are optimized in different ways to meet different application scenarios.

1. MPUs focus on executing large, complex and diverse programs through more powerful computing/processing capabilities, often requiring external mass storage.

2. MCUs usually run a single task, performing management/control functions for hardware devices. They usually do not require a lot of computing/processing power, and therefore do not need a large memory to support running large programs. The system is usually "monolithic" by integrating a small amount of memory inside a single chip.

MCU integrates an entire computer system in a single chip, and can directly add simple peripheral devices (resistors, capacitors) to run the code. It is still essentially a complete microcontroller with a processor and various interfaces. All development is based on the system architecture that already exists, and all the applicant has to do is to develop the software program and add external devices.

MPU, such as ARM's Cortex-A series, can't run by putting the code directly because it is essentially just an enhanced version of the CPU, and the corresponding RAM and ROM must be added.

7 Specific Differences Between MCU VS MPU

1. MCU refers to microcontroller, MPU refers to microprocessor.

2. MCU is a collection of FLASH, RAM and some peripheral devices, while the FLASH and RAM of MPU need to be built by the designer, of course, MCU can also be externally expanded, and the circuit design of MPU is more complicated than MCU.

3. MCU generally uses on-chip FLASH to store and execute the program code, while MPU stores the code in external FLASH and transports the code to RAM after power on. Although MCU can also run the code in RAM, the internal RAM capacity is small and the speed is slower when using external extended RAM.

4. MPU's main frequency is relatively high, and the external memory is usually DDR3, DDR4, which is faster and suitable for more complex operations.

5. MCU does not have a memory management unit (MMU), can not run the Linux operating system, can only run small operating systems, so can not run multi-process such programs. RTOS multitasking of small operating systems is similar to multi-threading.

6. MCU has more real-time compared to MPU.

7. MCU has lower power consumption compared to MPU. Although MPUs also have low-power modes, they will not be as low as MCUs.

Ⅲ Overview of MCU vs MPU Implementation

As for how to choose, whether to use MCU or MPU needs to be considered from various aspects such as performance requirements, volume and weight requirements, budget and cost.

3.1 Price Comparison

In regards to cost, MCUs are a clear victor from a solitary chip viewpoint. Some light-weight 8-bit MCUs can be purchased for less than $1, although you'll just be able to run straightforward programs and also you won't have access to numerous peripherals. The ATTiny collection of MCUs is a perfect example; these elements give fast calculation of basic digital programs in a small footprint, enabling specialty logic to be combined right into a single chip. The cost rises from there as even more user interfaces, I/Os, and also on-chip features are included.

MPUs are a lot more expensive in terms of equipment expense, however are only marginally extra costly in terms of growth. Contrasted to MCUs, an MPU will certainly take equally as much effort and time to set an application, although this depends upon intricacy and access to peripherals. An MPU needs an embedded OS with a bootloader, although there are lots of resources online for creating a boot disk on a thumb drive or SD card.

3.2 MCU vs. MPU in Manufacturing

What are the distinctions in between these systems in manufacturing? With an MCU, you primarily blink firmware onto the device and also, as long as it passes test requirements, you can establish it as well as forget it. The device will certainly remain to run in perpetuity. There are MCUs that sustain over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates, like the ESP32 and MSP430. To support this, you'll need to arrangement a net link to your embedded tool, and not all MCUs will certainly support this sort of connectivity. If you intend to do any sort of OTA firmware upgrade, see to it to examine the producer's item keeps in mind to guarantee this is supported.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, MCU favors low cost and low power consumption, while MPU tends to be high performance. The boundary between MCU and MPU is gradually blurring, and the main frequency of MCU is increasing, and peripherals are increasing.

More MCUs are used in remote control, consumer electronics or applications with high real-time requirements and  MPUs are used more often where there is a lot of computing, high-speed interconnection, or high requirements for graphics interaction.