A highly
integrated chip that contains all the components comprising a
controller. Typically this includes a
CPU,
RAM, some form of
ROM,
I/O ports, and timers. Unlike a general-purpose computer, which also includes all of these components, a microcontroller is designed for a very specific task -- to control a particular system. As a result, the parts can be simplified and reduced, which cuts down on production costs.
Microcontrollers are sometimes called embedded microcontrollers, which just means that they are part of an embedded system -- that is, one part of a larger device or system.
