The document discusses the ARM architecture and its applications. ARM Holdings developed the 32-bit reduced instruction set computer (RISC) ARM architecture. Many companies have licensed the ARM architecture for use in their products. The document also discusses the Texas Instruments MSP430 microcontroller family, which uses a 16-bit CPU and is suited for low power applications. It introduces programmable hardware and embedded system architectures that commonly use a main specialized module coupled with additional programmable devices and peripherals.