Date: Wed, 6 Aug 97 19:30:48 -0700 From: Parag Patel <parag@cgt.com> To: <hackers@FreeBSD.ORG>, "AGP Group" <agp@peritek.com> Subject: Re: Status of USB, TX chipset, PIIX3, etc. Message-ID: <199708070227.TAA20884@tenor.cgt.com>
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On 8/5/1997 8:57 PM, Michael Smith (msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au) said: >On the contrary, I would be overjoyed to see USB succeed. However, it >adds components to the desktop cable mess, and these components currently >cost real money. When I can buy a USB hub/controller interface chip in >small volumes for under AUD$50 each, I'll say that USB has hit the >"geek" market. > >In 10k volumes, an integrated USB target/micro device would have to be >under the AUD$1 mark before it is cost effective. Try getting that >sort of quantity pricing on the Z8 or PIC micros commonly used in >serial mice these days... I just saw an ad at the back of the latest EETimes (Mon Aug 4, 1997 #965) from Cypress <http://www.cypres.com>. The ad claims that they're selling the first USB uC under $1.00. (But they don't mention quantity.) It's their CY7C63nxx series of parts designed for joysticks, gamepads, and keyboards. It's an 8-bit microcontroller including RAM (128 or 256 bytes depending on the part), EPROM (4Kb or 8Kb), a USB serial engine, and a transceiver. It has a clock-doubler and "instant-on" low-power features. Number of I/Os (whatever those are) vary from 10 to 39. The ad claims it's a RISC core but doesn't say what's in it. The also advertise a development system is $495 including an emulator, assembler, debugger, software for mouse/joysticks, and a USB code library. Not quite at the geek hobbyist level, but certainly not outrageous either. For the record, I'm not am employee, customer, a contractor, or in any way affiliated with Cypress. -- Parag
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