the ICU , a `mini` microprocessor

One of the problems of microprocessors is that they require a considerable amount of specialised knowledge in order to operate them. An additional problem is that there are many applications for which their inherent sophistication renders them unsuitable. Recently, Motorola seem to have succeeded in killing two birds with one stone by bringing out a new IC, the Industrial Control Unit, MC14500B. This is a one-bit processor which has been specially designed for simple control applications, and is extremely easy to program. The following article takes a look at this `mini`-microprocessor, which should prove of particular interest to those readers who have had problems getting to grips with its `big brothers`.