How to Choose a Microcontroller

How to choose a suitable microcontroller is really hard, at least if you don’t know what you are doing. But we hope you can feel much easier after reading this article.

There are numerous different microcontrollers. But what is really important for your project? Let’s look at some differences between microcontrollers.

You can find 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers. These numbers refer to the size of the databus. In practical terms, a larger databus can do more heavy calculations. The 8-bit microcontroller is the most commonly used by hobbyists. In general, the 8-bit microcontroller has fewer pins, so that it’s easier to solder. And it is usually easier to program too.

Different microcontrollers have different amount of memory, number of input/output pins and peripherals. Peripherals are extra functions added to the microcontroller. The two most common microcontroller-brands for hobbyists are probably AVR from Atmel and PIC from Microchip.