Reply by DJ Delorie August 22, 20122012-08-22
I use the R8C/1B for a lot of projects - it's 20 pin (LSSOP), uses a
plain TTL serial bootloader (two buttons and a serial port, or one
FT232R, is my usual circuitry) all Linux-hosted tools (gcc and
bootloader) if needed, two timers, 4 10-bit ADC, runs off 2.7 to 5.5
VDC.  It has one PWM in hardware (three timers) so it may be weak on
that, and I don't know how cheaply you can get them in big quantities (I
only buy a few at a time ;)

I've even designed a tiny interface for on-board programming, for
space-limited designs: http://www.delorie.com/electronics/gR8C/

More recent 20-pin additions to the R8C family include the /2H/2J and
/32 series and have better PWM (search digikey for R8C and 20-pin).  The
smallest R8C/2J is $1.13 per 5000 even at digikey.

The 32D runs on 1.8V to 5.5V and has three synchronized PWM outputs.
Reply by August 17, 20122012-08-17
On Thursday, August 16, 2012 10:51:19 AM UTC+12, celep...@gmail.com wrote:
> Greetings > > > > Requirements are simple: 8 bit ADC, a few timers for PWM. Cost is "well under a dollar in 5000's". >
Serial loaders are common in Asia, and if you are making power supplies, a Wide Supply controller may appeal. Look at anything small from STC or Nuvoton ? http://www.stcmcu.com/ or http://www.nuvoton.com/NuvotonMOSS/Community/ProductInfo.aspx?tp_GUID=6913c5ee-ddaa-464c-a71b-e7e57f056436 -jg
Reply by August 16, 20122012-08-16
On Thursday, August 16, 2012 5:58:21 PM UTC+10, David Brown wrote:
> > When starting with a new microcontroller architecture, moving to Cortex > > devices may be more useful to you in the future. But the msp430 chips > > work fine, have low power, and the serial bootloader works. There is > > open source serial bootloader software available for it (which is often > > found alongside the msp430 gcc port).
We already use the LPCl114 and the MSP430, and far too many PICs. The test engineer hates PICs as he has to install the entire development environment onto the test PC just to program some of them (PIC10's I think). This is a pain when some of the test racks are in another continent (!). He much prefers processors with bootloaders. Your comments on low power are (unintentionally) amusing, as we make industrial power supplies, the application we need the small processors for is supervising the primary side of a 1hp switchmode PSU, which runs off a DC bus of 435V. 10W of power is quite unnoticeable :)
Reply by August 16, 20122012-08-16
On Thursday, August 16, 2012 5:36:51 PM UTC+10, MK wrote:
> On 15/08/2012 23:51, Dr. celephicus wrote: > > > Greetings > > > > > > Title says it all. My company is using PIC10's as local supervisors, but they are a pain in a number of ways that I don't wish to discuss. We would like to know of micros that have UART bootloaders loaded at the factory so that the parts can be programmed in system from a serial port on the test computer. > > > > > > Requirements are simple: 8 bit ADC, a few timers for PWM. Cost is "well under a dollar in 5000's". > > > > > > Present candidates are MSP430F2xxx and LPC1110. > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > I've used the LPC11xx in several applications and found them to be > > pretty good. If I were in your position I would rather go PIC->ARM > > rather than the MSP430 route because the M0 - M4 ARMs span a much wider > > range of performance. > > > > Michael Kellett
Exactly my opinion as well. Why bother with anything other than the ARM Cortex series when it spans price/performance from a low end MSP430 up to monsters that could outperform a cheap notebook? And the compilers are superb, the debuggers are cheap. What engineer could ask for more?
Reply by David Brown August 16, 20122012-08-16
On 16/08/2012 00:51, celephicus@gmail.com wrote:
> Greetings > > Title says it all. My company is using PIC10's as local supervisors, > but they are a pain in a number of ways that I don't wish to discuss. > We would like to know of micros that have UART bootloaders loaded at > the factory so that the parts can be programmed in system from a > serial port on the test computer. > > Requirements are simple: 8 bit ADC, a few timers for PWM. Cost is > "well under a dollar in 5000's". > > Present candidates are MSP430F2xxx and LPC1110. > > Thanks >
When starting with a new microcontroller architecture, moving to Cortex devices may be more useful to you in the future. But the msp430 chips work fine, have low power, and the serial bootloader works. There is open source serial bootloader software available for it (which is often found alongside the msp430 gcc port).
Reply by MK August 16, 20122012-08-16
On 15/08/2012 23:51, celephicus@gmail.com wrote:
> Greetings > > Title says it all. My company is using PIC10's as local supervisors, but they are a pain in a number of ways that I don't wish to discuss. We would like to know of micros that have UART bootloaders loaded at the factory so that the parts can be programmed in system from a serial port on the test computer. > > Requirements are simple: 8 bit ADC, a few timers for PWM. Cost is "well under a dollar in 5000's". > > Present candidates are MSP430F2xxx and LPC1110. > > Thanks >
I've used the LPC11xx in several applications and found them to be pretty good. If I were in your position I would rather go PIC->ARM rather than the MSP430 route because the M0 - M4 ARMs span a much wider range of performance. Michael Kellett
Reply by August 15, 20122012-08-15
Greetings

Title says it all. My company is using PIC10's as local supervisors, but they are a pain in a number of ways that I don't wish to discuss. We would like to know of micros that have UART bootloaders loaded at the factory so that the parts can be programmed in system from a serial port on the test computer.

Requirements are simple: 8 bit ADC, a few timers for PWM. Cost is "well under a dollar in 5000's".

Present candidates are MSP430F2xxx and LPC1110.

Thanks