A microcontroller is a single-chip computer. Before the invention of the
microcontrollers most intelligent systems were designed using
microprocessors. A microprocessor is the processing element of a
computer, consisting of an Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) and the
Control Unit (CU). A microprocessor on its own is useless and it has to
be supported by a large number of peripheral chips, such as memory,
input-output, timer, interrupt logic and so on. Currently there are many
microcontroller chips manufactured by various companies. This book is
based on using the highly popular PIC16F887 type microcontroller.
GSM/GPRS modems are used in all mobile phones. This book teaches the
basic principles of microcontrollers and shows how they can be used in
GSM/GPRS based communications projects. All of the examples and the
projects in the book are based on the highly popular mikroC language,
developed by mikroElektronika.