What microcontroller is this???

This is the place for any magazine-related discussions that don't fit in any of the column discussion boards below.
Post Reply
ItsTim
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 1:01 am
Contact:

What microcontroller is this???

Post by ItsTim »

Does anyone know what microcontroller is used in all these small LED devices? Its real tiny and drives only a few LEDs. I see this small chip used in almost every conceivable application from bike flashers to yo-yos. <p>Thanks!
hlreed
Posts: 349
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Richmond, TX
Contact:

Re: What microcontroller is this???

Post by hlreed »

Possibly PIC 12Cxx 8 pin series.
Basic is 12C508. New is 12F629 and 12F675.
Harold L. Reed
Microbes got brains
sundancer87
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 1:01 am
Location: Coast of Mexico
Contact:

Re: What microcontroller is this???

Post by sundancer87 »

Since you say it's tiny, I'm guessing you are talking about SMT. Surface mounted components. I would imagine without a number that the IC you want to identify is the surface mount equivalent to the LM 3909, LED driver. However, it could be the equivalent to the CD 4017, used in some flashing circuits. It's hard to say w/o the number.
ItsTim
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 1:01 am
Contact:

Re: What microcontroller is this???

Post by ItsTim »

Thanks! I'll look into those numbers.<p>I took a picture of one of these, if it helps any to ID it. Go to:
http://www.kablui.com/chip.jpg<p>Yes it is a SMT and is about .080" square. I wire wheeled the epoxy off so I could see it (they all seem to come that way on devices) but consequently removed any numbers.
These also are found in cheap toys, used as sound drivers too. I figured if I could get around the SMT part of it, the chip would be great for all kinds of things! I own a machine shop business where we specialize in constructing automated machinery and could even build something to do the micro-soldering, and most likely will if I can find more info and a source for these chips to incorporate into our other products.<p>Thanks again for those numbers! I'll certainly look into them!
bodgy
Posts: 1044
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2001 1:01 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: What microcontroller is this???

Post by bodgy »

It is a COB (chip on board package). Do a google search for FURBY or FURBIES - there was a reverse engineered schematic on the innards of the defunct cuddly, as well as some other toys. I recall they all tended to use the same COB pieces for many functions.<p>But as has been mentioned the LED flasher is probably a COB version of the 3909.<p>Colin
On a clear disk you can seek forever.
desterline
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2003 1:01 am
Contact:

Re: What microcontroller is this???

Post by desterline »

I highly doubt that it is any version of the 3909. For one the 3909 has been dropped by all manufacturers, and two, the 3909 requires a large capacitor, plus the blink pattern wouldn't be variable.<p>It's probably a microcontroler, using an internal r-c timing network.<p>COB is a very small technology and is very difficult to manufacture, I would avoid it unless you're producing volumes in the tens of thousands or higher. <p>Trying to re-use that one would be completely futile, even ignoreing the attachment problem, somthing designed to be that inexpensive would definitly be one time programmable.<p>If you just need a small micro for your projects, look into the low end Microchip products. Some of them are less than a dollar in quantity.<p>Good Luck
-Denny
ItsTim
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 1:01 am
Contact:

Re: What microcontroller is this???

Post by ItsTim »

Ya, none of those numbers panned out.
One time programming and volume of thousands is no problem, I'm mostly interested in size.
As much as I've seen these chips in use, I figured they'd be a lot more commonplace. I'd even settle for the chip used in super cheap watches. I gotta believe something like this would be so common... hell, they give em away in cerial boxes!
My app is basic IO and timer functions. I figured that would be the most basic thing in the world with a virtual flood of availability. I'm surprised they'd be so elusive!
rosborne
Posts: 73
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2003 1:01 am
Contact:

Re: What microcontroller is this???

Post by rosborne »

Bodgy is correct. that chip could be anything. The COB packaging is the cheapest available for ICs. Most of us like to see the chip information printed on the devices we use, but that's a whole layer of expense for the chip manufacturer and the suits in charge of those operations have no trouble passing the expense of advanced laser guided printing on to us, which is fine. But, if your making a bazillion furbys its easier/cheaper to gloop epoxy around the silicon. the beauty of this method is further exploited by picking and choosing silicon dies and hooking them up in the same package as hardware macros.
Designer says, "I'll take a COB pic ####7 die connected to a voice chip ####7 die and an led driver ####7 die on a 12 pin SOIC footprint." Sales Engineer says, "OK, that's $0.80/unit for 200,000 units." Then the haggling starts *yawn*.
My company (I'm just a grunt, so it's not really my company) builds digital cores then tack on high speed analog I/O macros and sells them in big fat BGA packages. I have no idea who hooks one piece of Si to another but I suspect it a really cool machine that is worth more than my house. I think big boys like IBM and Intel have machines like that.
-Rick
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot] and 32 guests