The history of single chip microcomputer is not long, but it develops very rapidly. Its emergence and development are roughly synchronized with the emergence and development of microprocessors. Since Intel first launched the 4-bit microprocessor in 1971, single chip microcomputer has developed to a higher level in all aspects of integration, function, speed, reliability and application fields.

According to the characteristics of single chip microcomputer, the application of single chip microcomputer is divided into single machine application and multi machine application. In an application system, only one single chip microcomputer is used, which is called stand-alone application. The application scope of single-chip microcomputer includes:

(1) Measurement and control system. Single chip microcomputer can form various less complex industrial control systems, adaptive control systems and data acquisition systems to achieve the purpose of measurement and control.

(2) Intelligent instrument. The original measurement and control instruments are transformed with single chip microcomputer to promote the development of instruments in the direction of digitization, intelligence, multi-function, integration and flexibility.

(3) Mechatronics products. The combination of single chip microcomputer and traditional mechanical products simplifies the structure of traditional mechanical products and makes the control intelligent.

(4) Intelligent interface. In the computer control system, especially in the larger industrial measurement and control system, the single chip microcomputer is used for interface control and management, and the parallel work of single chip microcomputer and host computer greatly improves the running speed of the system.

(5) Intelligent civil products. For example, in many products such as household appliances, toys, game consoles, audio-visual equipment, electronic scales, cash registers, office equipment, kitchen equipment and so on, the introduction of single-chip microcomputer controller not only greatly enhances the function and performance of the products, but also obtains good use results.

The multi computer application system of single chip microcomputer can be divided into functional distributed system, parallel multi computer processing and local network system.

(1) Functional distribution system. Multifunctional distributed system is a multi machine system set up to meet the requirements of multiple peripheral functions of engineering system.

(2) Parallel multi computer control system. Parallel multi computer control system mainly solves the problem of rapidity of engineering application system, so as to form a large-scale real-time engineering application system.

(3) Local network system.

Single chip microcomputer can be divided into general type and special type according to the scope of application. Special type is designed for a specific product, such as single chip microcomputer for thermometer, single chip microcomputer for washing machine, etc. In the general-purpose single-chip microcomputer, it can be divided into 4-bit, 8-bit and 16 / 32-bit according to the word length. Although the microprocessor of the computer is almost 32 / 64 bit, and the 8-bit and 16 bit microprocessors have tended to shrink, the situation of single-chip microcomputer is different. The 8-bit single-chip microcomputer has low cost and low price, so it is easy to develop, and its performance can meet most of the needs. Only in aerospace, automobile Robot and other high-tech fields need to process a large amount of data at high speed, so 16 / 32 bits need to be selected. In general industrial fields, 8-bit general-purpose single chip microcomputer is still the most widely used single chip microcomputer at present.

So far, China's single-chip microcomputer application and embedded system development have gone through more than 20 years. With the embedded system gradually going deep into all aspects of social life, the teaching of single-chip microcomputer course also has the trend of changing from the traditional 8-bit processor platform to the 32-bit Advanced RISC processor platform, but the 8-bit processor is still difficult to be replaced. National economic construction, military and household appliances and other fields, especially mobile phones, auto navigation equipment, PDA, smart toys, smart appliances, medical equipment and other industries, are industries in urgent need of MCU talents in China. At present, there are more than 100000 engineers engaged in the development and application of single chip microcomputer in the high-end industry. However, facing the trend of embedded system industrialization and the opportunity of vigorously promoting the construction of "embedded software factory" in China, China's embedded products will be in urgent need of a large number of single chip microcomputer application talents in order to integrate into the international market and form an industry, This provides a great opportunity for higher vocational students to engage in this kind of high-tech industry.