28123 Parallax Inc, 28123 Datasheet - Page 271

• Manufacturer Part Number: 28123
• Description: TEXT WHAT'S A MICROCONTROLLER
• Manufacturer: Parallax Inc
• Type: Programmingr

Specifications of 28123

• Style: Book
• Title: What's a Microcontroller?
• Contents: Whats a Microcontroller? Text
• Product: Microcontroller Accessories
• Core Processor: PIC16C57c
• Flash: 128 Bytes
• Operating Supply Voltage: 9 V
• Board Size: 31 mm x 16 mm
• Lead Free Status / RoHS Status: Not applicable / Not applicable

Page 264 · What’s a Microcontroller?
People use the term “integrated circuit” (IC) to talk about little black chips. The
integrated circuit is actually a tiny silicon chip that’s contained inside the black plastic or
ceramic case. Depending on the chip, it may have anywhere between hundreds and
millions of transistors. A transistor is the basic building block for integrated circuits, and
you will have the opportunity to experiment with a transistor in this chapter. Other
familiar components that are designed into silicon chips include diodes, resistors and
capacitors.
Take a moment to think about the activities you’ve tried in this book so far. The list
includes switching LEDs on and off, reading pushbuttons, controlling servos, reading
potentiometers, measuring light, controlling displays, and making sounds. Even though
that’s just the beginning, it’s still pretty impressive, especially considering that you can
combine these activities to make more complex gizmos and gadgets. The core of the
system that made all those activities possible is comprised of just the three integrated
circuits shown in Figure 9-1 and a few other parts. It just goes to show how powerful
integrated circuits can be when they are designed to work together.
EXPAND YOUR PROJECTS WITH PERIPHERAL INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
There are thousands of integrated circuits designed to be used with microcontrollers.
Sometimes different integrated circuit manufacturers make chips that perform the same
function. Sometimes each chip’s features differ slightly, and other times, the chips are
identical, but one might cost a little less than the other. Each one of the thousands of
different integrated circuits can be used as a building block for a variety of designs.
Companies publish information on how each of their integrated circuits work in
documents called datasheets that are published on the World Wide Web.
These
manufacturers also publish application notes, which show how to use their integrated
circuit in unique or useful ways that make it easier to design products. The integrated
circuit manufacturers give away this information in hopes that engineers will use it to
build their chip onto the latest must-have toy or appliance. If thousands of toys are sold,
it means the company sells thousands of their integrated circuits.
In this chapter, you will experiment with a transistor, and a special-purpose integrated
circuit called a digital potentiometer. As mentioned earlier, the transistor is the basic
building block for integrated circuits. It’s also a basic building block for lots of other
circuits as well. The digital potentiometer also has a variety of uses. Keep in mind that
for each activity you have done, there are probably hundreds of different ways that you
could use each of these integrated circuits.