The three most common types of integrated circuits found in automobiles include the microprocessor, the microcontroller and the sensor. Together, they form an advanced automotive computer system. The microprocessor calculates, processes and transfers data received from hundreds of microcontrollers, which in turn send out instructions to actuators and receive measurements from hundreds of sensors.
The sensors measure physical data, like temperature, pressure, speed, flow rate and time. Sensors are found in the radiator, engine, transmission, tires, brakes and about every other component in a car. The actuators, which are integrated circuits also, receive electronic signals from the microcontrollers, which then are used to set motor speed and fuel flow rates and even deploy air bags.
Appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators and even sewing machines, also include integrated circuits. However, you will not find as many integrated circuits in an appliance as you will in a computer.
Microcontrollers in the integrated circuitry of appliances read data from sensors, such as temperature and water level sensors. Microcontrollers also are used to detect if switches are on or off, the position of the knobs and which buttons have been pressed on the appliance control panels.
The microcontrollers read data from the settings on the knobs and the switches on the appliances and then issues instructions. These instructions are then sent to displays, motors, heaters and pumps. According to the instructions sent from the microcontroller, the motors, heaters and pumps will then turn on or turn off, and the display lights will dim or brighten or go off or go on.
The microcontroller sends instructions to the actuators and electromechanical devices such as relays. For example, the microcontroller might receive a signal from a water level sensor in a washing machine. The microcontroller, in response, will send a motor instruction to activate the actuator that closes and opens the washing machine's water inlet valve.
Your average computer is packed with integrated circuits. It includes a microprocessor, scores of memory chips and numerous other controllers and logic circuits.
Every computer always contains a microprocessor, one of the most complex integrated circuits. The microprocessor acts as the central control and processing unit of the computer. It retrieves instructions from the keyboard, stores instructions in the computer's memory integrated circuits and then performs calculations. It then sends the results of these calculations to the screen for display, to memory for storage and, if so directed, to another computer over a network, such as the Internet.
Computers often include a graphic processor, a type of integrated circuit that is designed to process graphical image data. Data from pictures, like those drawn or imported into a graphic design program, are processed with the graphic processor and then sent either to graphics memory for storage or to display for viewing.
There are also a number of integrated circuit chips called controllers within a computer. These include memory controllers, keyboard controllers and network controllers. The microprocessor, through instructions from the internal software stored in the computer's memory, instructs controllers to perform specialized data transfer and processing tasks.