9 Feb
2001
9 Feb
'01
12:35 p.m.
On February 9, Richard Erlacher wrote:
There are many dozens of USB-dedicated
microcontrollers by now. Intel has a
bunch, Cypress has a bunch ... Siemens has a bunch ... Philips has a bunch
... I could go on ...
Microchip recently announced a PIC with a USB interface. I really
like PICs...now I'm gonna put USB in EVERYTHING! Muahhahahaaa!! 8-)
These devices swap larger intelligence, bought at the
price of silicon
(about $3/lbincluding packaging, etc.), for interconnection uniformity.
There's enough intelligence at the computer end to figure out what it is and
how to talk to it, and there's enough intelligence at the device end to
communicate in a regular way so that the system to which it's attached will
be able to figure out who/what it is. This is what they're giving us in
place of those expansion slots that newer PC's haven't got anymore.
Well put.
-Dave McGuire