> > > > Oh yeah, the lack of soldering skills. That would require the student
> > > to have actually built something. These younguns just know how to
> > > program. You've seen the posts where a pic uP is the solutions to any
> > > task, not a state machine comprised of memory elements and
> > > combinational logic.
> >
> > For the vast majority of applications, a uC is the right solution,
> > certainly over the discrete implementation you suggest.
> >
> > --
> > Keith
>
> The problem with using a uP in such projects is if you are designing a
> chip, you need to know how to do it with gates as often that is the
> smallest and lowest power solution. The ability to hand craft logic is
> disappearing rapidly, but is very much needed in mixed mode chips
> which are not done on fine geometry processes.
>
If you're designing a chip you aren't going to be using a PIC, now are you? Hint: you won't likely be using "memory elements" and combinatorial logic to build state machines either.