The Internet of Things Will Make Everyone A Programmer (Part II)

November 10, 2013

This is the second post in a series entitled “Why the Internet of Things Will Make Everyone a Programmer”. In case you haven’t gotten a chance to read my first post, which outlines some of the theoretical concepts behind an IoT, I highly recommend reviewing it before reading ahead. This post will go over the rapid developments in microchip technology, and their impact on the miniaturization of electronics as well as the associated impact on production costs.

The first microprocessor developed was the 1971 Intel 4004. It was a 4-bit chip, and required an external chip for a working implementation, and therefore was not a solution to cost-effective computerization of appliances.

That same year, Texas Instruments engineers Gary Boone and Michael Cochran developed the TMS1000, recognized as the world’s first microcontroller—although the Intel 4004 and the TMS1000 were both developed the same year, Gary Boone was rewarded the patent for single-chip microprocessor architecture in 1973. This resulted in legal disputes between Intel and TI, resulting in Intel paying royalties to TI for the use of the microprocessor patent. The difference in the Intel 4004 and the TMS1000 is that the Intel 4004 is only a microprocessor, and therefore requires an external system with RAM and ROM as well as other peripherals, while the TMS1000 contains these on-board, making it a microcontroller.

The difference in modern microcontroller technologies available at low consumer prices compared to the solutions manufactured in the early 70s is the stressed difference between pre-programmed embedded application and the ability for a modern chipset to be reprogrammed with new instruction sets. Granted, the chips manufactured in the 70s were erasable, if they were of EPROM (Eraseable Programmable Read-Only Memory) type, that could be erased under exposure to ultraviolet light. PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory) is equivalent to EPROM memory, except that it lacked a quartz window to expose to UV light, therefore making it one-time programmable. PROM chips were less expensive, due to the need for EPROM chips to be built into a ceramic package, which was more expensive than the plastic used for PROM chips.

1993 introduced the mass-manufactured EEPROM chip, or electronically eraseable programmable read-only memory, which were commerically available and could be used for rapid prototyping. Granted, EEPROM was a technology invented in 1978 by George Perlegos, which used a thin gate oxide layer so that the chip could erase its own bits without needing a UV source. However, the chips were more expensive and much less durable, and therefore unsuitable for mass production. Charge pumps were implemented into chips so that a pulse of high-voltage energy could wipe out the bits, allowing the memory to be written to once again. EEPROM is the same type of memory used in flash drives, and as of 2007, charge pumps are integrated into nearly all EEPROM and flash memory integrated circuits.

The Intel 4004 was commercially available the same year it was developed, at a price of $60. Presently, an 8-bit microcontroller is available for around $0.60, with some 32-bit microcontrollers available for as little as $1.00. About 55% of all CPUS sold in the world are 8-bit microcontrollers or microprocessors. Additionally, there has been measured growth of 36.5% in 2010 and 12% in 2011.

So, why has this growth of MCU’s sold and their low production cost matter so much? Well, it shows a continued trend not just for hobbyist use of these devices, but also an increase in the number of devices that contain microcontrollers. More and more of these chips are being used to create “smart devices”, or electronic devices that are connected to other devices or networks. It is a widely held view that these devices will outnumber any other form of smart computing or communication in a very short time. However, we aren’t just seeing smart devices being manufactured and put on shelves for the consumer market. The cost of microcontrollers, microchips, and general costs of computing are creating a space for casual hobbyists to create their own smart devices. Even advanced components like touch screens and modular wifi and bluetooth components used to create ubiquitous system devices are available for $15 or less, in many cases.

The next part of this series will further explore the implications of smart devices, popular microcontrollers available to hobbyists, and how these types of general electronic devices are guiding the developments of an IoT and can help us predict where computing is headed.