People who study computers and electronics have all learned about single-chip microcomputer and CPU, so do you know that single-chip microcomputer, ARM, and DSP are all CPUs? What‘s the difference between them? This article has been organized, let‘s take a look!

CPU is the central processing unit. The CPU includes arithmetic logic components, register components and control components, etc. Its essence is an integrated circuit. The function realized is to read an instruction from one place, read data from another place, and then make different data according to the different instructions. process, and then store the result back somewhere, and CPUs of different architectures will have different instructions, different access methods, different speeds, and different efficiencies. From the point of view of realizing operation, single chip microcomputer, ARM and DSP can all be called CPU.

1. Microcontroller: Microcontroller MCU

At present, the single-chip microcomputer has been widely referred to as a microcontroller (MCU). The single-chip microcomputer is a chip similar to a PC, but it is not as powerful as a PC, but it can be embedded in other devices to control it. The multi-computer application system of single-chip microcomputer can be divided into functional distribution system, parallel multi-computer processing and local network system.

2. ARM: High-performance RISC

ARM core is an embedded system. The instruction, register and pipeline features of the RISC architecture make it well suited for parallel computing.

3. DSP: general digital signal processor

DSP is a unique microprocessor, a device that processes a large amount of information with digital signals. It is not only programmable, but also has a real-time running speed of tens of millions of complex instruction programs per second, far exceeding that of general-purpose microprocessors, and is an increasingly important computer chip in the digital electronic world.

These three are CPUs, but they are for different applications. The main purpose of the CPU is to solve the operation problem. The CPU of the computer can access the data and instructions of the memory to perform operations. Therefore, from the point of view of realizing the operation, whether it is SCM, ARM, DSP can all be called CPU.

Although single-chip microcomputer, ARM, and DSP are all called CPU, there are obvious differences between them. The main differences are:

1. The single-chip microcomputer is a chip with a complete computer system, which is suitable for simple measurement and control systems and has relatively simple functions.

Both ARM and DSP can do the work of single-chip microcomputer. The single-chip microcomputer has much fewer instructions for digital computing. In order to perform fast digital computing and improve the efficiency of commonly used signal processing algorithms, DSP adds many instructions, such as single-cycle multiply-add instructions, Reverse order addition and subtraction instructions, block repeat instructions, etc., and even many commonly used sequences composed of several operations are specially designed to be completed in one cycle, which greatly improves the speed of signal processing.

Due to the large amount of reading and writing back in digital processing, in order to improve the speed, the instruction and data spaces are separated, and two buses are used to access the two spaces respectively. First loaded into the high-speed on-chip ram to run.

2. ARM is a microprocessor with powerful transaction processing functions and can be used with embedded operating systems.

The biggest advantage of ARM lies in its high speed, low power consumption, and high chip integration. Most ARM chips can be counted as SOC. Basically, a small system can be formed by adding power and driver interfaces to the periphery. Because of its abundant resources, low power consumption, low price, and many supporting manufacturers, embedded systems are increasingly used in various embedded systems that require complex control and communication functions.

At present, microprocessors using ARM cores, that is, what we usually call ARM microprocessors, have spread to various product markets such as industrial control, consumer electronics, communication systems, network systems, and wireless systems. Microprocessors based on ARM technology Processor applications occupy more than 75% of the market share of 32-bit RISC microprocessors, and ARM technology is gradually infiltrating all aspects of our lives.

3. DSP is suitable for digital signal processing, such as FFT, digital filtering algorithm, encryption algorithm and complex control algorithm.

The real-time running speed of DSP can reach tens of millions of complex instruction programs per second. The DSP device is 8 to 10 times faster than the 16-bit single-chip single-instruction execution time, and completes a multiplication and addition operation 16 to 30 times faster. The space allows the complete overlap of fetching and executing instructions. Its working principle is to receive an analog signal, convert it into a digital signal of 0 or 1, and then modify, delete, strengthen the digital signal, and interpret the digital data in other SoCs. Back to the simulation data or the actual environment format, its powerful data processing capability and high running speed are the two most commendable features.

DSP chip, because of its strong computing power, fast speed, small size, and high flexibility in software programming, provides an effective way to engage in various complex applications. Its main application is to quickly implement various digital signal processing algorithms in real time.