Microcontroller Unit (MCU)

A small control chip integrating a processor, memory, and peripheral interfaces on a single die.

A microcontroller unit, commonly called an MCU, integrates a CPU core, flash memory, RAM, timers, analog-to-digital conversion, PWM (pulse-width modulation) outputs, and communication interfaces like CAN and serial ports, all on a single chip; common examples include STMicroelectronics' STM32 and Espressif's ESP32. It has modest compute power and low power draw, but predictable response times, making it well suited to running bare-metal code or a real-time operating system. In robots, MCUs are spread across joint drivers, sensor boards, dexterous hands, and the battery management system, handling low-level, real-time control like the tens-of-kilohertz current loop; the onboard compute platform that runs Linux and neural networks (such as a Jetson) is a different class of chip entirely, and the two work together over a bus.

ExampleThe STM32 on a joint driver board runs the FOC current loop at a very high frequency, while also receiving position and torque commands from the host computer over a CAN bus.

Also called

Microcontroller

Related

STMicroelectronics STM32 MCU Family · Lower-Level Controller · Embedded System · Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) · Field-Oriented Control · System on Chip (SoC)

Sources

Microcontroller - Wikipedia