Is microcontroller a System On Chip (SOC)

[shamprsd]

If yes then SOC is not a new technology since Microcontroller are around for a long time

Am I right?

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For your reference:
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The definition of Microcontroller according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A microcontroller (or MCU) is a computer-on-a-chip used to control electronic devices. A microcontroller is a single integrated circuit with the following key features:

- central processing unit
- input/output interfaces such as serial ports
- peripherals such as timers and watchdog circuits
- RAM for data storage
- ROM, EEPROM or Flash memory for program storage
- clock generator - often an oscillator for a quartz timing crystal, resonator or RC circuit

 

[Thinkie]

You could argue that a microcontroller was an early form of a system on a chip, however the modern term of SoC refers to complex integrated circuit that include application functionality on-chip and not just generic units, such as the micontroller

 

[salma ali bakr]

so we can say that the SOC is more application specific...not generic....
and that it's more close to an ASIC than to a microcontroller
is that true???

 

[sivasujith]

A typical SoC consists of:

one or more microcontroller, microprocessor or DSP core(s)
memory blocks including a selection of ROM, RAM, EEPROM and Flash
Timing sources including oscillators and phase-locked loops
Peripherals including counter-timers, real-time timers and power-on reset generators
External interfaces including industry standards such as USB, FireWire, Ethernet, USART, SPI
Analog interfaces including ADCs and DACs
Voltage regulators and power management circuits

System on chip can be composed by using microcontrollers..

Rgards..
Sujith

 

[ivar4ever]

the definition of system is not always generic, a microcontroller can be a primitive SOC,
now even SOC is not hot, the era is of Network on Chip (NOC).

 

[edacw1]

NO, a microcontroller is a part of SOC.

 

[jjww110]

microcontroller is the center of soc!!

 

[shankarmit]

Micro Controller is not an SOC.. because SOC is some system that can perform some function by its own.. that mean it will have all the blocks necessary to run some application.. In detail if SOC has a microcontroller in that it will have some module that will configure the microcontroller and start the micro controller options generate interupts like that but micro controller cant configure its programming mode or operate on its own.. it need some external block to make it operate.. so microcontroller can be said as one the block of SOC.. but i cant be SOC stand alone.


Regards
Shankar

 

[yln2k2]

Hi ,


Earlier days and even today for small applications where you need generic solution people used to do a microcontroller which is enough to build applications ( like 8051 .... even today people are using the same as SOC ) ...

Rapid growth in VLSI industry ,people stated making a ASIC/FPGA which is very specific ( tuned to ) to particular application like Wireless SOC / Network Application VOIP ....

so one can use the same name .... SOC is a more polished way than saying Micro Controller .... ...

One difference i can say Processor on Microcontrollers are very small in insuruction set and capabilities are limited ( People during that time tried max extent they can ...) .. But in a typical SOC CPU capabilities are advanced and has more peripherals ....


Thanks & Regards
yln

 

[shamprsd]

For a Microcontroller Vendor, the design of Microcontroller would be a SOC design.

An Analogy:
For FPGA Vendor, the FPGA Architecture design and manufacturing is an ASIC.

Any comments...