Will 8-bit microcontrollers be replaced by 32-bit microcontrollers?

Will 8-bit microcontrollers be replaced by 32-bit microcontrollers?

I often see many netizens discussing 51 microcontrollers. Some people say that the 51 single-chip microcomputer is the basis for entry and should be learned; others say that various tutorials for the ARM series of 32-bit single-chip microcomputers have become very popular, and the 51 single-chip microcomputer has long been outdated, so the need for learning is naturally lost. There is even an extreme voice, it's time to say goodbye to the 51 microcontroller. Indeed, 8-bit MCUs and 32-bit MCUs are usually used for comparison, especially when the price of 32-bit MCUs continues to drop and the price advantage of 8-bit MCUs is not so obvious. Nowadays, more and more people have heard that 8-bit MCU has been eliminated. Is 8-bit MCU about to withdraw from the stage of history? Let us listen to the voice of the industry!

1. Cao Yuelong, Director of Asia Pacific Business Development for Freescale Microcontrollers, analyzes: Due to its cost advantage, 8-bit MCUs also have a lot of room for growth in the future, but they are more suitable for single product use. In the application of the Internet of Things, many occasions not only need to realize the transformation from mechanization to electromagnetic and intelligence, but also need to consider reliable connectivity, safety and protection. The realization of all these functions requires the participation of the MCU, so 32-bit MCUs will become the mainstream of IoT applications.

2. When analyzing the application of the Internet of Things, Atmel's senior product manager said that the application range of the Internet of Things is very wide, and it is difficult to say whether its mainstream is 8-bit or 32-bit. In some small applications, 8-bit performance is sufficient, and the number of these small applications is also large. As far as Atmel is concerned, 8-bit MCUs will focus more on edge applications, while 32-bit products will focus on high-performance applications. The combination of the two will strive for greater development space for the IoT application market.

3. Although the competition in the 16-bit and 32-bit microcontroller market is very fierce, it cannot be ignored that customers are not only concerned about performance, but also about cost. The person in charge of Shengquan Company emphasized that in actual use, many customers will talk about the 8051 core that can fully meet the product needs, and the cost performance is also very appropriate. No need to use a 32-bit MCU, especially in price-sensitive applications.

8-bit and 32-bit are useful. With the recovery of the global economy, the sales of microcontrollers in the industrial and automotive industries are increasing, and this growth is not limited to 32-bit products. In fact, people can see products covered by 8-bit cores everywhere in their daily lives: TV sets, bank counters, coffee machines, remote controls for induction cookers... Small 8-bit cores still contain huge energy.