This document provides an introduction to microcontrollers and embedded systems. It discusses what a microcontroller is, the differences between microcontrollers and microprocessors, and common types of microcontrollers and processors used in embedded systems. It also covers important considerations for choosing a microcontroller for an embedded project, such as power consumption, clock frequency, input/output pins, memory requirements, and internal peripheral functions. Memory-mapped input/output is described as a common method for interfacing microcontroller software with external hardware devices and peripherals. General purpose input/output pins are discussed as a fundamental digital input/output interface.