12 Nov
2022
12 Nov
'22
10:05 a.m.
On 11/12/22 09:41, Ethan Dicks via cctalk wrote:
Yeah, the 555 is extremely simple and is well known and is fairly
cheap, simple MCUs are simple (and cheap) even if they aren't 100%
deterministic like a chip with 20-30 transistors. There's economic
advantage in flexibility.
There's also efficiency in mass-produced numbers. There are several
Chinese MCUs that go for less than USD$0.10 in low quantities. I think
the bottom end a couple of years ago was about USD$0.03. At that price
point, you have to wonder if some of that isn't the packaging (tape
reel) cost.
There are far more MCUs made today than 555s, if that's any indication.
And some of the newest ones feature neural net hardware (e.g. MAX78000).
Do that with your 555s!
I, for one, welcome our robot overlords.
--Chuck