Contents
Why is RAM memory used in microcontrollers?
RAM memory in microcontrollers is usually lesser in size than flash memory. One of the reasons is discussed in the last section, the other important reason is that RAM memory has lower latency than flash memory.
How many bits are in a microcontroller memory?
One byte consists of 8 bits. Therefore, one byte is the minimum information that microcontrollers can read and write. In other words, every memory location is byte addressable. That means, each memory location consists of one byte and each location has a unique address.
Which is larger flash memory or program memory?
This is also known as code memory. Code memory is usually larger than RAM memory. Because flash memory contains our program code and code size is typically larger than the program data.
How are memory segments organized in microcontrollers?
Microcontrollers flash memory contains different segments of application code such as, interrupt vector table, code segment, initialized data segment, uninitialized data segment, constant data segment etc. The linker script file which is used in the embedded system build process defines where each of these segments will store in flash memory.
How much memory does a 16 bit microcontroller have?
Most microcontrollers uses Harvard architecture, which has separate 16-bit address spaces for program memory, RAM, and memory-mapped I/O addresses. So for these, the 16-bit address bus can access up to 64K (65,536) bytes of RAM.
What kind of system is a microcontroller used for?
A microcontroller can be considered a self-contained system with a processor, memory and peripherals and can be used as an embedded system. The majority of microcontrollers in use today are embedded in other machinery, such as automobiles, telephones, appliances, and peripherals for computer systems.