PICs - Playground or 'serious' microcontroller

[selbstdual]

Dear reader,

to me, starting with microcontrollers meant starting with pics.

When I hear 'PIC' I immediately associate it with hobbiist projects,
creative setups made of wood or being connected to standard
boxes and producing only prototypes. Nothing that ever reaches
the style(and size per functions) of an ipod or a palm(In which there
are no pics as I guess).

To be able to rewrite the microcontroller is necessary in developing
something but what about the final product that is to be sold ?

Which kinds of associations are evoked when an experienced person
sees 'microchip' on one of the boards' chips ? Amateurish or Professional ?

As I said not to talk about the missing design aspect of most setups -
Functionality is above Beauty is an unwritten law in my experience.

[Melanie]

When you buy a new Microwave Oven, do you check what microprocessor is inside? No.

When you buy a new flatscreen TV, do you check what microprocessor is inside? No.

When you buy a new car, do you check what microprocessor controls the engine management system? No.

When you go into hospital, do you check what microprocessor is checking your Blood Pressure and Heart Rate? No.

Next time you drive down the road, did you ever think as to what microprocessor is controlling the city junction traffic lights? No.

Ever think about what microprocessor dispenses the fuel into your car? No.

Ever thought about the microprocessor that keeps your house Heated or Air Conditioned or the water in your shower at optimum temperature? No.

When you drop money into a vending machine for your next can of cold Coke or Coffee or Chocolate Bar, will you first consider what microprocessor is dispensing your chosen vend? No.

People don't care about microprocessors - they care about Cars, Hot Food and getting home on time to a comfortable house, what's on TV tonight, Fuel and Coke and Coffee and Chocolate Bars and Sex! Yup, there's even a microchip PIC in one brand of vibrator that I know of...

So who cares what's inside the box!

[selbstdual]

Who cares what's inside. Everyone who is using circuits to create a new one based on it.

Take motor driving circuits - or LCDs. If I saw a PIC on the back of a LCD, I would smile. But this is me.

Finally all people who do not like proprietary software care what's inside of a technical device aswell.

[Melanie]

Who cares what's inside. Everyone who is using circuits to create a new one based on it.

That's the problem with this world... everyone is imitating instead of innovating...

If I saw a PIC on the back of a LCD, I would smile.

I personally know at least THREE millionaires... each of them became that way because of PICs and MeLabs's PICBasic... and when they see a PIC, they smile too...

[selbstdual]

There is a misunderstanding. It is about innovating - not reinventing.

A software engineer does not need to solder his mainboard.

You are using given components to develop on a higher level -
as it is with PBP compared to ASM.

If you produce for business partners it matters. If you produce for the end
user who wants to use it only - then there's no need to replace the pic.

One question is still there, though:

Which kinds of associations are evoked when an experienced person
sees 'microchip' on one of the boards' chips ? Amateurish or Professional ?

[Melanie]

One question is still there, though:

Which kinds of associations are evoked when an experienced person
sees 'microchip' on one of the boards' chips ? Amateurish or Professional ?

Neither. It is just another component on the board.

It's the finished product that counts.

I have seen some very poor professional products where I wonder why the engineers are not in jail, and I have seen amateur products built as a hobby that are 'par excellance' that would put many professional engineers to shame.

[Acetronics2]

Which kinds of associations are evoked when an experienced person
sees 'microchip' on one of the boards' chips ? Amateurish or Professional ?

May be the answer is not so simple ...

Why ask for a Cray computer to count 2+2 ???
Why ask for .0001% calc. precision when your sensors give at best 1 or 2 %

It's not a question of amateur or professionnal ... only a question of more or less known brands ...

The less known, the more professionnal ... of course !!! Only professionnals could know that brand !!!

µChip has been one of the first brands to understand a "cheap" IDE and huge litterature and tools associated with would seriously boost their products selling.

Others only follow ... slowly.

Heard of Cypress ??? what do you think of their PSoC Express ???
Heard of Freescale ??? What do you think of their Processor Expert ???
...

Professionnal tools or amateur tools ???
Professionnal Brands or amateur Brands ???

Alain

[pmcleod]

, there's even a microchip PIC in one brand of vibrator that I know of...

So who cares what's inside the box!

Sorry to come into this late, but an engineer I know hates PICs so much, when asked by "A friend" to repair one of these he replaced the PIC with an AVR, the heathen;-) but apparently he tripled the number of operating modes.

I'm with you though, it matters what the product does, not what's inside to make it happen. My next project will be based around a smallish PIC but will sell, for circa £1000 (I hope)