[sdiy] Small MCU MIPS, DMIPS?

[karl dalen]

>Scott Gravenhorst <music.maker at gte.net>:

> small things and their low
> cost is quite right for microwave ovens, toys, and a
> miriad of things we don't even remember has them inside.
> I'd  like an FPGA with 10,000,000 equivalent gates for
> $2.00.  Since that's  not reality, I do what I

See, your already measure the complexity by dollars, what
marketers says are one thing what it really cost is another
and the approach to cost are a third.

I read recently that one of the big Mobilephone suppliers are
saying mobilephone obsolete in 10 years, every thing will be 
that cloud something.Most phones are subsidized so they can 
make money on the time we are blabbering so cost are fictive
entity, can be set to anything and mean anyting, therefore i 
want 1Mbyte in a dsPIC for 5 usd and they can do it no problem
its just a matter of enough amount of people saying the same
thing just as the revolution in North Afrika. Kaddaffi for
obvious reason says no while he sits on top of his stack of
500million USD/euro. So the companies can if they want top.

> can with what is actually available.  We hobbyists
> have always had to deal with
> parts that sell the best in things unrelated to what we
> want to do.  That  hasn't changed since the early days
>and won't in the future  I'm afraid.

It has changed over and over again, we go from one simple
solution (Z80) to more and more complex, you have just
missed it. The answer are the FPGA that you hold in your hand. 

With uppcoming speed complexity will decrease and in some
cases it allready have, we have several forces on the market,
just look at ATMELs current ideas, will it catch on?

Do i really need a DSPIC for a microwave when it can be
done with a 555?

> Possibly, but it was bound to happen.  And with FPGA
> technology, I can put an 8 or 16 voice poly synth into
> a single chip which implements high quality DSP. 
> Such a chip is less than $20.  Try making a 16 voice
> polysynth with similar features using CEM for $20.

Im not against functionality, im oposed to complexity
when it should had been simplified. What if you had to 
chose between current FPGA and same in DIP16? You 
obviously take the DIP16.
 
> Right - even less than 50.  But I doubt that Xilinx
> was thinking about _my_  application when they did that. 
> It's about volume because otherwise we'd never be able to
> afford these things.  However, I believe that there is a
> Spartan-3E 500K gate device available in TQFP and that's quite
> capable.  

Well we know the basic fundings about volume market, and my 
experience on professional level dealing with those 2500 balled
are that very few designs actually use any vast number of balls
even large telecom products or data com base stations, whatever.

For every 50 extra balls you add another layer of PCB
complexity. And the cost grows seriously.Its like MIPS,
more balls dont cut if they are just small. :) 
 
> Actually, not so many years.  I think about 4 now -
> but quite honestly, I designed my first working monosynth
> within the first year.  And I have no degree, no previous
> DSP experience and do not consider myself a math wizard,
> basic calculus only - and I can't even do that anymore.
> You'd be surprised what can be done with a block diagram...

I wished the dev tools just where block diagram based.

> Not really sure what "should be easier".  I take
> things this way: "It is what it is", i.e., if you want
> something bad enough, you'll learn what you need to
> learn and apply the required effort.  I don't fear
> that.  I embrace it.

I im not entirely sure if the embrace thing are all that god,
if things can be done better why arent it when its obvious
in many cases? Selling out just because you want it bad enough
makes you a simple target for marketeers.

Whenenver you by something indicate to the company that you,
better up say you represent a user group that want's this, that
and this, instead of this, that, and this.

> wouldn't advocate any single method for all.  Do what
> you do best and be happy  in that.  If it's analog,
> then make analog, but understand that there are  market
> forces that are working against you.

Ah, yeah the famous market forces who have made VST a dead
end hair dryer 19:99 at Wallmart (Lidl for europeans) made
in china thing of it all. Not to mention the recycling of
hardware VA synth like Blofeld, MiniAK, Alesis, etc etc
and are either discontinued 5 months later or price dropped.

No wonder DSI are making anything except soft synths.
http://www.kvraudio.com/interviews/interview_with_dave_smith_15841

At all cost avoid Kansas!
KD