單片機也被稱為微控制器（Microcontroller Unit），常用英文字母的縮寫MCU表示單片機，它最早是被用在工業(yè)控制領(lǐng)域。單片機由芯片內(nèi)僅有CPU的專用處理器發(fā)展而來。最早的設(shè)計理念是通過將大量外圍設(shè)備和CPU集成在一個芯片中，使計算機系統(tǒng)更小，更容易集成進復(fù)雜的而對體積要求嚴(yán)格的控制設(shè)備當(dāng)中。INTEL的Z80是最早按照這種思想設(shè)計出的處理器，從此以后，單片機和專用處理器的發(fā)展便分道揚鑣。
早期的單片機都是8位或4位的。其中最成功的是INTEL的8031，因為簡單可靠而性能不錯獲得了很大的好評。此后在8031上發(fā)展出了MCS51系列單片機系統(tǒng)?；谶@一系統(tǒng)的單片機系統(tǒng)直到現(xiàn)在還在廣泛使用。隨著工業(yè)控制領(lǐng)域要求的提高，開始出現(xiàn)了16位單片機，但因為性價比不理想并未得到很廣泛的應(yīng)用。90年代后隨著消費電子產(chǎn)品大發(fā)展，單片機技術(shù)得到了巨大提高。隨著INTEL i960系列特別是后來的ARM系列的廣泛應(yīng)用，32位單片機迅速取代16位單片機的高端地位，并且進入主流市場。而傳統(tǒng)的8位單片機的性能也得到了飛速提高，處理能力比起80年代提高了數(shù)百倍。目前，高端的32位單片機主頻已經(jīng)超過300MHz，性能直追90年代中期的專用處理器，而普通的型號出廠價格跌落至1美元，最高端的型號也只有10美元。當(dāng)代單片機系統(tǒng)已經(jīng)不再只在裸機環(huán)境下開發(fā)和使用，大量專用的嵌入式操作系統(tǒng)被廣泛應(yīng)用在全系列的單片機上。而在作為掌上電腦和手機核心處理的高端單片機甚至可以直接使用專用的Windows和Linux操作系統(tǒng)。
SCM is also known as micro-controller (Microcontroller Unit), commonly used letters of the acronym MCU that it was first used in industrial control.
Only a single chip by the CPU chip developed from a dedicated processor. The first design is by a large number of peripherals and CPU on a chip in the computer system, smaller, more easily integrated into a complex and demanding on the volume control device which. INTEL'sZ80 is the first designed in accordance with this idea processor, then on the development of microcontroller and dedicated processors have parted ways.
Are 8-bit microcontroller early or4 bits. One of the most successful is the INTEL 8031, for a simple, reliable and good performance was a lot of praise. Then developed in 8031 out of MCS51 MCU Systems. SCM systems based on this system until now is still widely used. With the increased requirements of industrial control field, began a 16-bit microcontroller, because the cost is not