This allows the use of a smaller MCU, operating at a lower clock speed, and idling (or even entering standby mode) for maximum cost, power and complexity reductions.
The basic idea behind these new peripherals is that, once set up properly, they will operate independently and relieve the microcontroller core from the heavy lifting of the task at hand. The way they can do that is by changing the fundamental rules of the game, creating an arsenal of what we called the Core Independent Peripherals. But, when it comes to processing speed, there is a clear disadvantage that they need to neutralize. In the first part of this short article series, we saw how 8-bit microcontroller cores are so small that relatively large CMOS process geometries can be used effectively to operate at higher voltages, drive higher current loads (up to 100 mA on selected MCUs) and to provide large margins of noise immunity, hence robustness. There is plenty of innovation happening in embedded control, and it is occurring right now, in front of our eyes - in the 8-bit world! But this would be just sad, and, thankfully, it is far from the truth. One hundred and fourteen years later, it might seem like this quote could be applied to the world of embedded control. I am obviously paraphrasing this famous (although disputed) quote from Lord Kelvin, who was addressing the British Association for the Advancement of Science in the year 1900. All that is left is more and more refined measurements.” – Lord Kelvin, address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science – 1900 (disputed) “There is nothing new to be discovered in physics.