<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="">I just wanted to pop in and put in a good word for LCSC. I use <a href="http://LCSC.com" class="">LCSC.com</a> and <a href="http://JLCPCB.com" class="">JLCPCB.com</a> daily for work, with jlcpcb now having -insanely- great deals on low volume smt assembly. I'm talking 20 units covered in surface mount components for ~$3 a piece. jlcpcb already got all of my business for prototype pcbs before this service went live in the US, but now I get any prototype pcb for less than I would have a year ago, with all or most surface mount soldered. A bit of a game changer for us. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><br class=""><div class="">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b class="">Chris McDowell</b></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><a href="http://www.atxled.com" class="">ATXLED</a></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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<div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Nov 15, 2019, at 12:43 PM, <a href="mailto:sleepy_dog@gmx.de" class="">sleepy_dog@gmx.de</a> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class="moz-cite-prefix" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;"><br class="">Ben Stuyts wrote:<br class=""></div><blockquote cite="mid:E7E6479F-9914-4556-8737-9DFBFFF11DCB@stuyts.nl" type="cite" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;" class=""><br class=""><div class=""><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On 14 Nov 2019, at 23:04,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:sleepy_dog@gmx.de" class="">sleepy_dog@gmx.de</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" class=""><div class="moz-cite-prefix">Ben Stuyts wrote:<br class=""></div><blockquote cite="mid:B902206D-82A0-4A56-8BE9-CDDAF666543D@stuyts.nl" type="cite" class=""><div class="">How’s $0.03 for a microcontroller? :) <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYhAGnsnO7w" class="">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYhAGnsnO7w</a></div><div class="">Die shot: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jw5D0F008c" class="">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jw5D0F008c</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">By the way,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://lcsc.com/" class="">lcsc.com</a> where this mcu came from is a really interesting distributer, part of the same company als<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://jlcpcb.com/" class="">jlcpcb.com</a> (pcb manufacturer). Lots of cheap Chinese parts, but also e.g. ST microcontrollers for better prices than e.g. Farnell or Digikey. I’ve used some of them in production, no complaints yet.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Ben</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></blockquote><p class="">Ha! :D That's slightly cheating, though, isn't it? Unrealiably obtainable "seasonal produce" fresh from Shenzen market... usually made for one-off rubbish products.<br class="">Or not?</p></div></div></blockquote><br class=""></div><div class="">I believe<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://lcsc.com/" class="">lcsc.com</a> is a reputable distributor, and the company behind those cheap MCU’s (Paduak Tech) seems to give reasonable support. There are some <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://eevblog.com/" class="">eevblog.com</a> forum threads where people discuss their experience with these chips. I just checked that particular MCU and it is still in stock, over 18k pcs: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="https://lcsc.com/product-detail/PADAUK_PADAUK-Tech-PMS150C-U06_C168658.html" class="">https://lcsc.com/product-detail/PADAUK_PADAUK-Tech-PMS150C-U06_C168658.html</a>. It boggles the mind…</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">For a more well known example: For a recent production run I needed 100 pcs of the STM32F103RBT6, a 64 pin Arm Cortex-M3 controller. It is US$1.5348 at lcsc, and USD 4.83 at Digikey. There is some sort of supply chain advantage there…</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Ben</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;" class="">Ok, this is interesting. In general, not for me personally (wrt applicability). Those seem more primitive than I was aware still exist, if I read that right you need to chose whether it comes with an arm OR a leg ;) Which would be just right for what Richie B. mentioned, e.g. electric toothbrush, I get it. Wasn't even aware those had MCUs now... But I guess one step to be "ahead" (marketing wise anyway) of the competition at some point in their evolution was to give toothbrushes more than one function, and as soon as it has that, some simple MCU like that comes in handy. (or if the charging logic can also ditch some "traditional" components if a MCU is present, then it's benefitial even earlier?)<br class=""></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;" class="">So, I guess my perception of 8 bit MCUs fading away comes from seeing a lot of areas where there once were king, and anything better prohibitively expensive, and nowadays those fields that I am more aware of tend not to be so focused anymore on "lowest end MCU possible" (again, from industrie examples I stumble upon, which is biased by my particular, if not peculiar, set of interests, I guess)</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;" class="">So to summarize, my perception is still that they are becoming less used in some areas (and IF my perceived trend continues, the end point there is "phased out"), but now through this thread I have become aware of areas that weren't on my radar at all before, so thanks for that, to all involved.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;" class="">- Steve<br class=""><br class=""></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 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