Chip with simple program for Toy

look at PIC chips.

they have very small 8 pin types that would be more than enough for that. you need a programmer from them to write the code in it.. its not hard to do and its fun to learn, after you see what can be done with these programmable integrated chips you will wonder why you never looked there before!

Berrie wrote:

the small 8 pin chips are cheap. but you may want to have some one bulk program them for you.

Bert wrote:

--- For a toy, an 8 bit pseudo-random pattern is prob'ly good enough, since you can get 255 tenth-second values out of the thing which you load into an 8 bit down-counter, start the motor, and then count the counter down with a 100ms clock. When the counter counts down to zero, you send a clock to the pseudo-random sequence generator to generate the next pattern, load it into the counter, reverse the direction of the motor and run the counter down to zero again to start the next timeout with the new value from the PRSG.

-- John Fields

"Berrie" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com...

Most simple thing I can imagine is an appropriate programmed eight pins PIC or a similar tiny AVR. You wil need some transistors to drive the motor as you will not find random generators with motor driving capabilities.

petrus bitbyter

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Thanks for your reply; I've send them my request. I hope however that the prices for the chip will go a lot lower when you talk about 10.000 chips.... because else I can stop designing right now :-)

Grtz Berrie

"Jamie" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com...

a

Flash Programmable and Production Quantity don't go together in the same sentence. If you want cheap prices for production volumes (which 10,000 is on the low end of), you'll be getting mask ROM parts.

"RANDOM", Maybe easier said than done. A micro running a stored programme can't do it just on it's own. There's got to be available somewhere, a real random variable that the micro can then use as a 'seed' to maybe generate series of psuedo-random values. regards john

--
I've already given you an algorithm which you can implement in the
simplest, least expensive µC available and, since your application is
clearly commercial, I feel reticent to finish up the design and also
do your leg work without some form of compensation.  If you're
interested in paying for further help, email me.  If not, perhaps you
can find someone else to help you for free.

Thanks all for your help:

this is what I foud as the cheapest out there. (don't have high volume price yet)

--------------------------------

Program Memory Type Standard Flash Program Memory Size (bytes) 384 RAM Size (bytes) 16 Data EEPROM Size (bytes) 0 I/O pins 4 Packages SOT-23, 8p DIP

Features a.. 6-pin SOT-23 packaging

a.. Precision 4 MHz internal oscillator

a.. Baseline Core with 33 Instructions, 2 Stack Levels

a.. All single-cycle Instructions except for program branches which are two cycles

a.. 12-bit wide instructions

a.. 8-bit wide data path

a.. 25 mA source/sink current I/O

a.. Low power (100nA) sleep current

a.. One 8-bit timer (TMR0)

a.. Watchdog timer (WDT)

a.. In Circuit Serial ProgrammingT (ICSPT) capability

a.. In-Circuit debugging support

a.. Programmable code protection a.. --------------------------------------------------------------------

Please note that I don't have any electroninc knowledge... (but that is hardly news i suppose :-) Why would I need 8 pins... what is so hard at getting a motor to switch direction randomly :-)

John Fields wrote:

Would you be so kind and help me out a bit more. Based on the info above I have a chip for less then 0,50 ct (still to much; but ok... we're getting there) Now how would you hook up a motor (what other parts are needed)...is there a schematic example somewhere. Where would I find motors (eg. lego/toy size...) I had hoped to keep this whole technical unit in the 1 to 2 dollar range...since it also need some plastic parts too :-)

Again; thanks for all the info you can give me.

Regards,

Berrie

John Fields wrote;

Fair enhough... I wish it where allready commercial though :-)

Regards,

Berrie

"Bert" schreef in bericht news:415be418$0$568$ snipped-for-privacy@news.xsall.nl...

Well,

Guess that six pin processor is the latest PIC. This one will do the job equally good I think but there is still not much experience with it. The

25mA are good for a lot of things. Driving LEDs for instance. But a motor that runs on 25mA at 5V? That 125mW power may be enough to move a clocks arm but will hardly move any significant load. Common toys motors requires some hundreds of milliamps, especially when just turned on, so you will need a transistor to drive it. More then one transistor as you want to be able to change the motors direction. The type of transistor mainly depends on the motor you want to control and the type of motor depends on the load you want to move. This things are not very difficult to find out but it takes time and skills you obviously do not have yourself. People on this forum tend to be very helpfull but I doubt you can find a volonteer to do the whole design for you. Sooner or later you will need a pro. John Fields is one but I know some in my own environment as well. For instance:

Wouter van Ooijen

or

Sjaak van Schaik

petrus bitbyter

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Petrus bitbyter wrote;

need

the

want

to

design

know

Yes... the point is very well taken :-) ... don't mean to ride for free on this one. I'm just in the first stages of getting to know where and who to find. So your reply is indeed very helpfull.

It does need to push something of a load... so you put me on an other track. Although I'm not gettting all of it; I understand that there are more electronic parts involved. Which means "production costs" in some shape or form.

Although I'm "just the Toy guy" :-) ....you know how it is; if it can't be made for less then a dollar... there's no bother calling "them" again :-) So that's what I'm doing; I'm trying to get a feel for how this technical-bit would work out.

Thanks again.

Berrie