(I hope Microchip folks listen, and correct me if I'm wrong!)  I have
heard the following reasons from Microchip reps:

1. Why not more EEPROM PICs: Microchip's EEPROM technology
requires a lot of silicon area. Other features are not worth trading
off for EEPROM.

2. Why not use more space efficient flash prom technology: Microchip
would have to license such technology from outside, which is not part
of their policy.

3. Micro chip believes few (big) customers are interested in EEPROM.
Allegedly, they use only OTP-versions for volume production. For
development, UV-EPROM are considered enough. The ability to reprogram
in-circuit is considered to be of marginal importance. (At several PIC
seminars I have visited, participants have stressed it would be useful
to be able to reprogram new versions, test programs etc., in
circuit, in particular for SMD PICs, but Microchip has not commented
on this.)

4. Actually, it has turned out that the 16C84 does sell very well, but
Microchip attributes this to the EE-programmable _data_ memory, not
_program_ memory. This interest is ascribed to students and hobbyists
(i.e. not much of a business).

I do hope that Microchip will rethink its strategy regarding
EEPROM. In particular, a 16C73 with EEPROM/Flash PROM would be close
to the ultimate microcontroller, in my opinion. Other companies, for
instance Intel, are now beginning to catch up here.

Martin Nilsson
Swedish Institute of Computer Science    E-mail: mn@sics.se
Box 1263, S-164 28 Kista                 Fax: +46-8-751-7230
Sweden                                   Tel: +46-8-752-1574

> Date:    Tue, 31 Oct 1995 17:50:09 -0500
> From:    Chris Smolinski <cps@ACCESS.DIGEX.NET>
> Subject: Re: Bulk Buy of 16C84?
>
> >        Is there interest in doing a bulk buy of PIC 16C84's, or perhaps
> >another PIC?  I know this one is very popular due to eeprom, and I need
> >several for upcoming projects.  I thought if there is interest, I would
> >try to put together a bulk purchase and save everyone some money.
> >        I was thinking of the of the 10 Mhz, 18 pin Dip package.  By
> >getting the faster speed everyone will be satisfied, even though it cost
> >a little more.  If there is interest in 25 units, we can get a
> >decent discount over the 1 piece price.  If there is interest in
> >100 or 1000 it is much cheaper, I like to be optimistic.
> >        If your interested, email me directly with aproximate of how many
> >you might be interested in.  I will put everyone who is intersted on a
> >email macro to keep you up to date.  I wished I could publish prices, but
> >I want to see what kind of price break we can get first based on
> >the interest poll.  (It should definately be <$10)
> >
>
> I'm planning on using the PIC16C84 in a project at work, and checked
> pricing. I need about 500 of 'em (two build two systems, each has 256 PICs,
> each PIC monitors a photodiode to check for a pulse of light at a certain
> time, and then processes the information and presents it on a common bus to
> be read by a 486. I wonder if this would be a record for the most PICs in a
> single product???)
>
> Anyway, I was quoted around $5 or so each. I'll have to check the pricing
> info at work tomorrow to make sure. If you can get the volume up, you
> certainly should get the price break.
>
> Any idea why Microchip doesn't make any other PICs with EE program memory?
> I need the ability to re-program the PICs in-circuit, so that left the
> 16C84 as the only possibility.