More processor talk

There have been some intersting comments on my blog post about the embedded processor wars. And while wearing one of my other hats as the editor of the Focus on MCUs newsletter, I received some interesting feedback on the question of the whether people are still using 8-bit MCUs. The question of which processor to use for an embedded project is still a very relevant one.

One resource that the embedded systems engineer can use to see the trends in the industry is the 2009 Embedded Market Study.  Rich Nass, David Blaza, and Mike Barr go through some of the key findings in this particular webinar.  Among some of the stats analyzed is choice of processor which really starts around the 20 minute mark of this 40 minute webinar. 32-bit, 16-bit, 8-bit, DSP, FPGAs, and the ecosystems are all discussed.

Many other questions are looked at such as choice of operating systems, outsourcing, and structure of engineering teams.  I encourage you to spend the time to view this study --it contains a good snapshot of what your fellow embedded systems engineers are working on.