Real-Time MCUs Drive the Next Generation of More Efficient Appliances and Power Tools (Download)
The quest to develop consumer products that are more reliable, efficient, and cost competitive is never-ending. While progress is made across all design vectors, perhaps the most visible is the microcontroller (MCU). From its early beginnings with the TI 1000 to the latest generation of C2000 and F28E120SC real-time MCUs, it has certainly come into the limelight to address today’s competitive, cost-sensitive consumer markets.
Engineers have always been tasked with making the most with the least, and as economically as possible. Early designs generally focused on circuits to add features, i.e., single-task, purpose-built circuits interfaced between the MCU and motor.