Re: Working around -freestanding limitations?

[DrPi <314@drpi.fr>]

>> 1)I want to build my own circuit board with a microprocessor not 
>> microcontroller.
> 
> 
> Can you explain why? Input/output is often more complex with a 
> microprocessor (I assume you mean something that could run a PC or a 
> tablet) than with a microcontroller. A microprocessor may need a lot of 
> complex initialization and driver SW which you can get in some RTOS but 
> not in an Ada RTS. And I believe that circuit-board design is more 
> complex for microprocessors than for microcontrollers, however I have no 
> experience with either case.

Nowadays, microprocessors are rare. Even x86 microprocessors could be 
named microcontrollers since they integrate many (not all) peripherals.

High end microcontrollers are very complex to initialize. Especially 
since they integrate security functionalities (like secure boot), SDRAM 
controllers, PCIe controllers, Gigabit Ethernet controllers, 3D GPUs, 
video encoders/decoders, camera interface, LCD interface, HDMI interface...

Even middle range microcontrollers are (very) complex.

Manufacturers provide drivers source code (in C) for all peripherals. 
They also provide tools to graphically set chip configuration and output 
C code to help the programmer.

Complexity depends on the chip you choose.