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MICROCONTOLLERS Microcontrollers are essentially computers. They vary from a computer in the following aspects. Microcontrollers are "embedded" inside some other device (often a consumer product) so that they can control the features or actions of the product. Another name for a microcontroller, therefore, is "embedded controller." Microcontrollers are dedicated to one task and run one specific program. The program is stored in ROM (read-only memory) and generally does not change. Furthermore, microcontrollers are often low-power devices. A desktop computer is almost always plugged into a wall socket and might consume 50 watts of electricity. A battery-operated microcontroller might consume 50 milliwatts. A microcontroller has a dedicated input device and often (but not always) has a small LED or LCD display for output