Microcontrollers

A microcontroller is an integrated circuit that contains a microprocessor, packaged with built-in memory, and has some IO (Input / Output)' functionality. They are useful since they are similar to a "micro computer" that is both low cost and easy to program. Microcontrollers can vary in functionality and usage. They may be found in simple table-top robots, and as components of full scale vehicles. Microcontrollers are usually programmable in the c language, but languages such as Spin or Assembly are also used. Although a microcontroller is generally a single chip, they can be purchased with development boards to make prototyping and development easier. Parallax's BASIC Stamp and the open source Arduino are two popular solutions. The club's official microcontroller of choice is the Arduino, but the club and Penn State also use the Kinetis K40 chip as part of the Tower System in the Freescale Cup Competition and the EE403W Senior Design Course.

What is a microcontroller?
A microcontroller is a small processor capable of storing and executing user developed programs. There are a wide variety of devices that fall under this category, with many different architectures. PICs, AVRs, and DSPs are all examples, the first two of which are popular for hobbyists and education.

Many groups have developed small circuit boards to help support the microcontroller and make it easier to prototype projects. Some of these boards include the Basic Stamp (Parallax Inc.), the Propeller Chip (Parallax Inc.), the Arduino (Open Source Project), the Kinetis ARM Cortex M4 (Freescale Inc.).

Common Types
The most common types in the club are:


 * Arduino Open Hardware/Software Platform
 * Freescale Kinetis
 * Parallax BASIC Stamp
 * Parallax Propeller chip
 * Microchip 8-bit Microcontrollers (PICs)
 * Acroname Brainstem
 * Freescale Quorivva

Applications
The most general use of microcontrollers in the robotics club is in robotic logic and sensor interpretation. The driving logic of most robotics at the table-top level is usually a single microcontroller. Competitions such as the Mini Grand Challenge & AUVSI as well as the Freescale Cup use microcontrollers to receive data from sensors, pass it to a higher level system (usually an on-board PC) then receive instructions for movement/steering.