Re: CM11A hangup: Any better products?

[Joerg <notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Dan,

> | > My theory is that the implementors of the CM11a were familiar with the
> | > free-running oscillator design used in the TW523 and decided to adapt
> | > it.  It was a proven circuit used in other X10 products as well.
> |
> | That could very well be but it would be pretty sad. Engineers are
> | supposed to embrace new concepts when something can be realized at less
> | cost.
>
> Of course, they might have done the analysis and decided that this solution
> _was_ the most cost effective.  Typically X10 does a pretty good job of
> "value engineering" in spite of what its competitors sometimes claim.

It could be. However, every aligment procedure in production is usually
a significant cost contributor. Even in China.

> | > Does the 16C58 have the capability to route a timer to an output pin?  When
> | > I wrote the enhanced version of my replacement firmware for the RR501 I used
> | > a timer, but I had to swap some pins around to I could send it out via the
> | > PWM block of the 16F628 (not doing actual PWM, of course).
> |
> | Frankly, I don't know the PIC series much. But it would surprise me if
> | it wasn't possible. Pin swaps may be needed. Timer-based outputs are
> | pretty easy on most uC like the MSP430 series even though they often do
> | not have a dedicated PWM block.
>
> As far as I can tell, there is no obvious way to route the 16C58's TMR0
> (the only one it has) to an output pin.  I don't think this function is
> typically available on 16x PICs.  I was able to do it only by using that
> PWM block in basically a pass-through mode, and a PIC with a PWM block may
> not have been available (or cost effective) when the CM11a was designed.

IIUC it outputs to TMR0 reg which indeed isn't so cool. But look at
Figure 6-6. Maybe there is a way to pipe it through the WDT path. Unless
PSA turns off the WDT Time-Out mux or that signal cannot go anywhere.
This doesn't seem to be a very versatile uC. Or as they say in the UK,
it doesn't float my boat.

If it can't do all that maybe there is a better uC for X-10 than this
one, at similar cost. Quite frankly it is the first uC I come across
that seems to be unable to do PWM. Even ye olde C51 could do that.

Regards, Joerg

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