Poll

Should we categorise the MCU section ?

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38 (48.7%)
0
40 (51.3%)

Total Members Voted: 76

Voting closed: May 04, 2014, 04:39:30 pm

Author Topic: Should we categorise the MCU section ?  (Read 21337 times)

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Online tggzzz

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #75 on: September 02, 2014, 10:15:10 pm »
I've been thinking, based on my own experience of this section wouldn't it be an idea to put categories in for the main popular MCU's or development platforms ?.
It would help to split into
  • FPGA and Verilog/VHDL/other HDLs
  • Processors and C/other HLLs
because those are sufficiently different and non-overlapping categories (just about only the Zynq is in both).

Any attempt to create other taxonomies runs into the problem of which parameter is dominant. For example should the top level be manufacturer or word size or..., and should problems with C on an 8 bit CPU/MCU be discussed in the CPU/MCU or language ghetto?
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Online tggzzz

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #76 on: September 02, 2014, 11:32:23 pm »
I've been thinking, based on my own experience of this section wouldn't it be an idea to put categories in for the main popular MCU's or development platforms ?.
It would help to split into
  • FPGA and Verilog/VHDL/other HDLs
  • Processors and C/other HLLs
because those are sufficiently different and non-overlapping categories (just about only the Zynq is in both).

Any attempt to create other taxonomies runs into the problem of which parameter is dominant. For example should the top level be manufacturer or word size or..., and should problems with C on an 8 bit CPU/MCU be discussed in the CPU/MCU or language ghetto?

This thread topic seems to come around sufficiently regularly that there should be a sticky thread for it.

I have two objections, largely stated above, that I am opposed to anything that gives succor to the category nazis. Which is strictly not to say I think the OP had this intention. It always seems to spring forth out of the best of intentions. Which is probably why it is a perennial topic.

The other is the minimal practical benefit. I and, from prior threads, apparently many others also read new posts from the unread posts since last logon screen where categories are irrelevant.

Threads need  titles created to help search for them. A significant number don't and this is the only area where rigidly designed and enforced categories would make some benefit. However slight I may think it would be.

If categories are created then they should only ever be at a high level conceptual level. for example "Repair", "Test Equipment" where a topic such as repair of a oscilloscope which could be argued for either category is a relatively benign category offence in any reasonable persons view.

A more esoteric concern is the minority I would classify as "Fanboys" who from time to time like to belittle those who use devices and platforms to which they have a religious objection. Examples would be Arduino, Rasperry Pi, Windows and there are others. So I hope that by not for example splitting Arduino off from Atmel they might be exposed to more open minded tolerant people. I don't mean to suggest these issues are solved by broad general categories but neither are they exacerbated.

So if you are going to make narrow(er) categories, please choose wisely.
I think that is a long exposition of my last paragraph; as such I agree with it.

However FPGAs and MCUs have such widely differing and disjoint characteristics that they could be separated without loss. Ditto HDLs and HLLs - where the superficial similarity causes much confusion to beginners.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
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Offline SimonTopic starter

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #77 on: September 03, 2014, 06:05:06 am »
I'm not looking to over categorize, but lets face it where do most people go for help with an MCU, oh yea a dedicated forum. I do use AVR freaks and when i was using PIC I went to the pic forums.

So I think it stands to reason to broadly categorize uC's based on manufacturer as this is the main automatic classification as their assembly languages will be different, the tools will be different and they all have their own architecture particularities.

Not many people are familiar with so many uC's so if they come on here with a view to help people they have to rumage around to find topics they can help with instead of pulling up the section they are knowledgeable in.

Hopefully it would encourage more use of the section, at the moment it's an amateurish mess in my opinion.
 

Offline miguelvp

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #78 on: September 03, 2014, 06:25:46 am »
I'm not looking to over categorize, but lets face it where do most people go for help with an MCU, oh yea a dedicated forum. I do use AVR freaks and when i was using PIC I went to the pic forums.

But when it takes you 3 days for showing the source in here you can't expect a quick helpful turnaround can you?
Once you posted the actual code things moved along way faster. So its not the forum split that is hurting this.

BTW you posted the code on the 1st and you never left feedback if you resolved the issue.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/microcontrollers/atmel-studio-compiler-errors/

But if AVR Freaks helped you and you replied there on the success, a link on the topic closure would be nice.
 

Offline SimonTopic starter

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #79 on: September 03, 2014, 06:54:14 am »
So why don't you post the above on my topic instead of this one, why are people making this a personal thing ? This topic was started long before the one you refer to and has nothing to do with it and I made the same point months ago. Everyone says that this section does not get much use, and it's no wonder, it's like having one huge box for all your resistors and then trying to find just one value.
 

Offline miguelvp

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #80 on: September 03, 2014, 07:15:28 am »
So why don't you post the above on my topic instead of this one, why are people making this a personal thing ? This topic was started long before the one you refer to and has nothing to do with it and I made the same point months ago. Everyone says that this section does not get much use, and it's no wonder, it's like having one huge box for all your resistors and then trying to find just one value.

Because I saw your post here stating that you'll rather go to AVR freaks, so I was wondering if your posts and responses here where totally useless since this such a half baked section of the forum.

I see people helping in here all the time but yet this 5 month old survey is still a sticky taking one more item from the rest of the first page topics.

Split it which ever way you want and be done with it, no need for the survey since it obviously is not going to change after all this time.

 

Offline SimonTopic starter

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #81 on: September 03, 2014, 07:29:29 am »
I made the suggestion to Dave, he said make a poll. Basically he needs to make his mind up either way. Personally and from what people have said this section is not used as much as the rest of the forum, yet it's a massive topic and one section can't cover it if there are whole dedicated forums out there for what I'm suggesting just becomes different sections.
 

Offline miguelvp

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #82 on: September 03, 2014, 08:06:03 am »
It's been 5 months!

give it up or get it on with it.
 

Offline Antscran

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #83 on: September 09, 2014, 08:42:06 pm »
I made the suggestion to Dave, he said make a poll. Basically he needs to make his mind up either way. Personally and from what people have said this section is not used as much as the rest of the forum, yet it's a massive topic and one section can't cover it if there are whole dedicated forums out there for what I'm suggesting just becomes different sections.

Simon,

I reckon you should pass it back to Dave and say the poll was inconclusive.  I would like to use this forum more on the microcontrollers side but seems muddled.  I will still use dedicated forums, but would be nice to contribute more here as well.
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Offline jmole

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Re: Should we categorise the MCU section ?
« Reply #84 on: September 09, 2014, 09:54:32 pm »
Why not add a categorization based on the "message icon"?

Slickdeals forums do a similar thing, where you can tag a post in the Hot Deals forum as computer, TV, food, etc...
 


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