2007 EDN Microprocessor Directory: Different strokes By Robert Cravotta, Technical Editor
Our 34th Annual Microprocessor and Microcontroller Directory presents you with a palette of processing options and development tools for your project. Includes details on hundreds of devices and cores from nearly 70 vendors.
The following PDF tables deliver technical specifications including operating frequency, memory details, core voltages, power consumption, timers, I/O, packaging, and price. The master table details nearly 1000 devices/cores.
Note: The PDF files are formatted for easy printing on letter-sized paper using two-sided printing.
Introduction
Use the menus on the left to access a wealth of information on nearly 70 vendors and hundreds of processors. Drill down by either company name or your target application. Either way, you'll find an overview of each vendor's activities, parametric tables detailing every vendor's complete product lineup (also listed to the left), and detailed descriptions of each processor family (augmented in many cases by an architectural block diagram). (Continues below)
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(Continued from above) Successful processor offerings for embedded-application designers stress the optimum balance of processing performance, power consumption, development resources, and bill-of-materials costs. The continuing, growing importance of this balance of application-specific features and software development is a focus of this year's directory. An obvious expansion of the online directory material is the inclusion of third-party-software-development companies.
The number of companies and devices the directory lists continues to evolve, and we've added new entries to the company roster and to the tables of devices and cores. The company roster and product listings continue to be testaments to the variety of processors available and the variation among requirements, features, and the types of applications for which designers are using microprocessors and microcontrollers. If you notice a company that we omitted, please let them and us know that you missed them and would like to see them in the next directory.
This directory aims to provide designers and system architects enough visibility into processor options to quickly narrow the list of candidate processors for each project. The directory presents detailed information on each processor, including a specification table and block diagrams. The directory uses a common taxonomy for describing and categorizing target applications that helps you to quickly find and compare competing processors for your projects.
The "Where did they go?" sidebar (below) helps you find companies that we no longer list, whether because they closed their doors, another company acquired them, or they spun off into another company. (Think NXP and Philips.)
If this directory helps you find or choose a device or core, please let the vendor know how you found its part. Help us continue to improve the directory by sending your comments and feedback to microdirectory@edn.com.
What's new in this edition?
Where did they go?
Company changes noted in the 2007 edition:
Clearspeed: Changed product focus; withdrew from directory
Infrant Technologies: Acquired by Netgear; withdrew from directory
Philips Semiconductors: Processor product line spun off to NXP Semiconductors
Quicklogic: No longer supports MIPS product line; withdrew from the directory
Sharp Microelectronics: NXP Semiconductors acquired Bluestreak processor line
This year’s edition of the online directory visibly expands from previous editions by adding, for the first time, an online section for third-party software-development-tool vendors. Our goal in this first round of building this additional resource was to experiment with how to connect relevant, but independent information. While we want the list to eventually be exhaustive of the market offerings, we believe it may take a few iterations before we reach that goal. In the meantime, if you have a favorite third-party software-development-tool vendor that is not listed in the directory, please let them and us know. You can let us know by emailing us at microdirectory@edn.com.
Most of the other innovations for this year’s directory are noticeably less obvious or visible. A few iterations back, we started to hide the size and complexity of the entire directory so as to not overwhelm readers. The directory continues to grow, and it is significantly larger than even last year. Among the challenges we are working with are compiling all of this material in a way that gets you what you are looking for quickly without overwhelming you with information that is of little use to your search. One way we do this is by segmenting the data and by using a high-level taxonomy (which is still going through refinements) to better filter the data for you.
As the directory has grown in size, the logistics of managing that data becomes more challenging. Consider that we remove all of the marketing material to deliver a high-signal, low-noise resource. Additionally, each company has its own unique way of describing its products; we try to apply a consistent terminology and language to help you compare among the different vendors and their offerings. These are manual processes, and we are experimenting with ways to scale the effort as the size of this resource continues to grow.
Another hidden innovation with this edition is our first attempt at performing a proper update of the material. This is significantly more complicated than just rebuilding the directory, but it should help us to scale up the effort from previous editions into the future as we learn more about how to do this effectively.
You may have noticed the new entry page when you use the stable address for the directory (www.edn.com/microdirectory). It shows the entry links for previous years of the directory. We maintain each edition because we found out that some users perform trend analysis by examining multiple years of the directory. By examining the different editions, you can see how individual companies have evolved their products lines as well as how the industry as a whole has shifted focus and product offerings.
The directory continues to be a work-in-progress. We have big plans for it, and we are working to bring them to fruition. We encourage you to share you thoughts, positive and negative about the directory by emailing us at microdirectory@edn.com.
