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Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: tipipliou on October 26, 2010, 09:33:58 AM

Title: ARM microcontrollers
Post by: tipipliou on October 26, 2010, 09:33:58 AM
hi
I read about ARM microcontrollers,and they said that they're becoming the "new standard"
are they really the best,better than PICs & AVRs ?
is it true that they will be the "new standard" ?
wouldn't be better to get used to them rather than PICs & AVRs?




PS: sorry for english mistakes
Title: Re: ARM microcontrollers
Post by: garrettg84 on October 26, 2010, 10:41:49 AM
I don't know that any single controller will be 'the standard'. All of the companies continue to innovate and create new integrated features at lower price points. I'm still sticking to AVR (Atmel) due to their extremely low price and high feature set compared to the others.
Title: Re: ARM microcontrollers
Post by: madsci1016 on October 26, 2010, 11:59:40 AM
I think the confusion come from the statements about 8-bit controllers becoming old news. It's become so cheap and easy to manufacture fast 16 and 32 bit cores now, its a wonder why we are still using little 8 bit AVR and PICs.

The ARM chip (http://focus.ti.com/en/download/shared/product-brief-LM3S9B92.pdf) on the evalbot part of the recent TI snafu is 16 bit, 80Mhz with tons of IO, way more timers and embedded communications drivers, and is only $2-$3 more then an Atmega328.  SO at this point, why start learning 8 bit AVR?

There are 32bit AVR chips that look good on paper, I just haven't tried them. 
Title: Re: ARM microcontrollers
Post by: Webbot on October 26, 2010, 12:49:13 PM
Before buying an ARM chip then make sure that you can install and run a toolchain - ie a compiler and linker for it.
I tried it for an ATmel ARM chip and it was an absolute nightmare - having to load bits'n'pieces from lots of different websites.
Once you can get a program to compile then feel better about buying a chip.

Other chip makers have more self contained solutions that remove some of the pain.

Title: Re: ARM microcontrollers
Post by: cyberfish on October 28, 2010, 09:04:35 PM
They are usually only available in surface mount packages, but if you don't mind that, they go for very cheap, too.

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=497-10496-ND (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=497-10496-ND)