C h a p t e r 4
8-BIT FOR CONSUMER
ELECTRONICS
Beyond all of the applications discussed
in this book, almost every aspect of
the modern person's life has become
digitized.
Consider, for example, that many of the
devices we interact with on a daily basis
— such as microwaves, coffee machines,
thermostats, televisions, and automatic
faucets — all rely on MCUs to work.
By most accounts, this trend is only
expected to continue, driven by forces
such as the proliferation of the IoT, the
smart home, and the general consumer's
continual demand for new features in
their products. Hence, one of the most
important considerations for designers of
consumer electronics is how to integrate
all of the desired functionality in a way
that is still affordable to the average
consumer.
In this field, 8-bit MCUs have become a
very popular solution.
This popularity is in part due to the
flexibility and versatility offered by 8-bit
solutions. In a dynamic field like consumer
electronics, staying on top of consumer
demand and getting products to market
as fast as possible is key. Since 8-bit
MCUs enable extremely simple designs
with minimal overhead, designers can
easily create new product features and
In applications where product size
is important, 8-bit microcontrollers
are a preferred solution since they
often come with a lower pin count
and in smaller packages than 32-
bit MCUs."
Bhanu Prakash Villuri
Engineering Manager, Stanley Black & Decker
19
The Mighty 8-Bit Microcontroller: Still Enabling Innovation in Modern Applications
