What is most popular micro-controller in industry today?

[cubdh23]

Does anyone know which microcontroller or from which brand of controller is most popular and most used in industry today?
I heard texas instruments controllers are popular. What do u all think?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Does anyone know which microcontroller or from which brand of controller is most popular and most used in industry today?
I heard texas instruments controllers are popular. What do u all think?

I think it's a very hard question to answer, and probably varies considerably depending on the particular industry. Certainly as a service engineer on domestic electronics (TV's, VCR's etc.) I don't see many Texas processors.

From previous posts on here, the MCS51 series are supposed to be very common, and many manufacturers make variations of them.

On the hobbiest front the MicroChip PIC is probably the most popular, and you find them in all sorts of equipment as well - the name 'PIC' has even become commonly used to mean a micro-controller (rather like vacuum cleaners and Hoover).

 

[StupidDum]

I think....
the most popular general purpose microcontroller can be grouped under 3 families :

1. 8051 families
2. motorola families
3. PIC

The former two have established their name since decades ago. However, now PIC has the momentum to gain more popularity.


Currently, my company use motorola and 8051. I personally prefer PIC, as its development tool ( i actually mean debugger) is much cheaper.

 

[laroche73]

the name 'PIC' has even become commonly used to mean a micro-controller

Intels' acronym for "programmable interrupt controller" has indeed been usurped by MicroChip. Intel missed the boat on that trademark. It used to come down to Intel vs. Motorola, with Zilog (Z8 ) or MicroChip being a a third choice for non-conformists. These days you'd do well to choose between PICs or AVRs, (8051 variants will be around for a long time, some of the new ones are very competitive). EDN magazine used to publish a pie chart of the preceeding years volume shipment (8-bit micros), the 8051 & its' derivatives always came out #1. The MPS430 is worth a look for low power uses, but TI's always been <3% in the micro market. #1 in DSPs though, followed by Lucent and Analog devices (last time I looked, which has been a few years . 56Kb modems were popular at the time, and pushed Lucent into #2).

 

[kentken]

Microchip has lots of free downloadable software and information for there products.
:wink:

Don't know about the others

Kent

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Intels' acronym for "programmable interrupt controller" has indeed been usurped by MicroChip.

That's the first suggestion I've heard of Intel having anything to do with 'PIC', although that certainly would fit the acronym.

MicroChip didn't actually invent the PIC, before them it was Arizona MicroChip (presumably the same company, just a name change). But originally it was General Electric who developed the PIC, the meaning of the acronym (if any!) has been lost over time - although 'Peripheral Interface Controller' is a common suggestion.

 

[laroche73]

PIC

OK, I'll post the first page of the datasheet if I can ever find it (too many boxes in storage). Try finding an Intel microprocessor peripheral handbook from the 80's :? . I believe it was General Instrument, not GE, that made the forerunner of the PIC family.

 

[Exo]

Philips uses toshiba controllers a lot, sometimes there own 8051 variants
siemens SAB processors are also frequently used

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Re: PIC

I believe it was General Instrument, not GE, that made the forerunner of the PIC family.

Yes, you could be right, I knew it was 'General Something' 8)

Thinking on! - I seem to remember they were a sub-division of somebody else?, but I can't remember who it was?. From my vague recollections I think that they sold the PIC side off to Arizona MicroChip, and concentrated on their main business.

 

[laroche73]

PIC history (& others)

**broken link removed** site has some background info on a number of micros from the past. **broken link removed** a reference (p.2,3) to Intels use of the PIC acronym for the 8259A.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Re: PIC history (& others)

**broken link removed** site has some background info on a number of micros from the past. **broken link removed** a reference (p.2,3) to Intels use of the PIC acronym for the 8259A.

Interesting!.

I tried a quick google, and found this site which states that GI first created the PIC in 1976!.

 

[Exo]

Re: PIC history (& others)

**broken link removed** site has some background info on a number of micros from the past. **broken link removed** a reference (p.2,3) to Intels use of the PIC acronym for the 8259A.

that's just a coincidence (did i write that right?)
the 8259 is the 8086's perephial interrupt controller, pic in short, but it has nothing to do with the other pic's we know

 

[laroche73]

Yes, it's just a coincidence. I only mentioned it to show an early use of the "PIC" acronym by another company. As Nigel pointed out, thanks to MicroChip, the "PIC" label has become synonymous with "microcontroller", just as the "Xerox" label became associated with making paper copies. I knew I'd seen a better description of the PICs' history somewhere, Nigel found it.