What is microcomputer?

Microcomputer is a system that consists of CPU, memory and input-output interface. Here the word micro refers to small components. So microcomputer means a small computer system.

The microprocessor is a central component in a microcomputer system. The type of memory , memory size and the nature of I/O interface units solely depends on the specific application.

Difference Between Microprogram and Microcomputer

The difference between microprogram and microcomputer is that the former refers to micro operations and the latter refers to small components.Both use ROM to store program that specifies the operations in the system. The instructions stored in a microcomputer is called macro-operations for the CPU. And the CPU may or may not have a microprogram control unit.

Design of Microcomputer

There are two parts of design: hardware design and software design. The hardware design deals with interconnection of the physical components that form a complete digital system. The software design is concerned with the development of the programs for a particular application. A microcomputer programmer must be aware of hardware configuration and he should consider the problems associated with the particular application.

Applications and Advantages

Microcomputer is used as a low-cost general purpose computer as it provides processing capabilities similar to other computer systems. It is also used as a special-purpose digital system to provide the register-transfer operations for the system. The advantage is that only a few LSI packages are needed instead of a large number of MSI circuits to generate operations. Another advantage is that the register-transfer operations for the system can be specified with a program. This program for a special-purpose application is stored in ROM it is unalterable. Thus with a fixed program in ROM, there is no difference between a microcomputer-controlled digital system and a custom hardware design.