Something worth looking at...

[Gene Zumchak]

List,

    I downloaded the .pfd spec for this chip and found it not very suitable.
Essentially, each cell is an op amp that can be configured in a variety of ways.
There are diode connected transistors that are used back to back either in the
input or feed back to give various effects, but no unconmmited transistors.  There
was not enough versatility here to encourage any electronic music applications.  Oh
well, it sounded good for a while.

Gene Z.



Gene Zumchak wrote:

> Michael M,
>
>     I had seen this in DigiKey but had never investigated it.  Imagine how
> useful this might be if it were half that price, say about $8.  Perhaps you
> could put a heated transistor AND the VCO it controls on the same chip for $8.
> Not bad.  This looks like it is worth considering.  Even at $16, if you figure
> how much your time is worth, and the number of hours it takes to breadboard a
> circuit, then $16 doesn't look so bad.  The killer and stupid part is the price
> of the development kit.  If the vendor wants to sell chips, why doesn't he just
> give the kit away.  The only purpose and use for the kit is to program his own
> chips.
>
> Gene Z.
>
> Michael Maloney wrote:
>
> > How about a field programmable analog array?
> > http://www.fas.co.uk
> >
> > I have somewhat mixed feelings about it in the big picture, as the devices
> > themselves sell for about $16.00 USD from Farnell in the UK, and Digikey
> > (the proclaimed US distributor) only has the development kits right now
> > (software, board, cable, 4 chips = $460.00)
> >
> > Still, there's something very attractive about a linear "toolbox" on a chip.
> >
> > Was also kinda intriguing that they chose as design examples a
> > four-quadrant multiplier, VCO, and voltage controlled gain cell.
> >
> > Just thought it might be of interest.
> >
> > Mike Maloney