8-bit vs 32-bit MCB: Microcontroller Basics
Strictly speaking, an 8 bit microcontroller processes 8-bits of data at any particular time. The number of bits used by an MCU (sometimes called bit depth or data width) tells you the size of the registers (8 bits per register), number of memory addresses (only 2^8 = 256 addresses), and the largest numbers they can process (again, 2^8 = 256 integers, or integers 0 through 255). An 8-bit microcontroller has limited addressing, but some 8-bit microcontrollers use paging, where the contents of a page register determines which onboard memory bank to use.
A 32-bit microcontroller can theoretically handle numbers reaching 2^32. They have 32-bit arithmetic logic units, registers, and bus width. In general, this means that a 32-bit can handle quadruple the amount of data, making it technically more data efficient. However, there are other differences between 8-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers that span beyond arithmetic operations.
32-bit Microcontroller Applications
There are plenty of applications for a 32-bit microcontroller, but this should be a discussion regarding when not to use a 32-bit microcontroller. In general, any application that requires computations that inevitably involve large numbers and that must be calculated faster should use a 16-bit or 32-bit microcontroller. Some example operations include FFT calculations, image processing, high quality audio or video, and edge computing applications. Some memory and processing intensive tasks involving machine learning or AI are better implemented with something more powerful, such as an ARM MCU or a single-board computer.
If you need to gather measurements of analog signals, a 32-bit microcontroller is not necessarily better than an 8-bit microcontroller. The bit depth quoted for a microcontroller is not equivalent to the bit depth of the built-in analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Commercially available microcontrollers will include an onboard ADC that reaches 8 bit, 10 bit, 12 bit, or 16-bit rates.
For mobile applications, a 32-bit microcontroller will provide more intense computation at the expense of higher power consumption. It's possible to use a 32-bit microcontroller to finish important computations faster and then put the CPU in sleep mode for a longer period of time. However, this does not mean a 32-bit microcontroller is more power efficient. An 8-bit microcontroller will generally provide longer battery life and have a better balance of peripheral features than similar 32-bit devices.
Choose the Best MCU for Your PCB Design
To choose the best microcontroller for your PCB design while minimizing time and overall cost, it is necessary to carefully assess the key advantages and disadvantages of 8-bit vs 32-bit mcu. By taking design requirements like speed, complexity, peripherals, and flash memory into consideration, you can minimize decision paralysis as well as potential setbacks when choosing the best microcontroller for your design.
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