Blackfin is a very unique architecture in that it combines the best characteristics of a DSP and a microcontroller. Other vendors may try to get the same functionality by taking a DSP and putting a microcontroller on top of it, or taking a microcontroller and adding an independent MAC, but that may result in a loosely integrated system that doesn’t perform well. The Blackfin, on the other hand, was designed with both capabilities in mind, and this combination of processing attributes enables a Blackfin to perform equally well in both signal processing and control processing applications. This integrated model simplifies both the hardware and software design implementation.