> Given

>> I found LPC1112FDH20 for US$0.82 in 2,500 on digikey.
>> Yes, 50 cents at 10K.  looks for real.

Re

>>> #1  What is the cheapest ARM microcontroller ?
>>> #2  What is the cheapest microcontroller ?

Then

> The same answer for both questions (taking the perspective into account),
> one question could probably be eliminated.

.... is definitely not the case

In terms of value for money and processing power per $ then ARM in
some form is hard to beat.
BUT there are a large number of lower prices and so perhaps lower cost
microcontrollers  available.

Simply searching Digikey's listings for "Microcontroller" and ordering
by price will give lower price per item. If absolute cost is crucial
and you can tolerate a small number of I/Os and relatively lower
processing throughput then eg a PIC 10Fxx or 12Fxx may work well and
cost down to about 30 cents at listed prices. You will be able to get
sub 30 cent prices by talking to the manufacturer directly.

ST's STM8 family offer staggeringly capable I/O and peripherals at
well below 50 cents. They are very mealy mouther re processing power
and instruction cycles. I have not dug into it but it *M<AY* be using
the old ST6 core or similar which shunted stuff around semi-setrially
internally and toom many clock cycles to implement a a single
instruction. Apart form the low processing speed per clock speed they
were OK to use and if the STM8 is similar it is hard to beat at the
absolute price.

In Asia you can get PIC like processors in volume for "less".

In Asia Microchip will sell you untested parts that you characterise
yourself for less (probably much less0. I'd imagine you vcan get entry
level PIC parts ofr under 20 cents in volume.

______________

The STM8 is feature for feature per $, very hard to match
And also in absolute $.

STM8 Digikey

>From 36.4c / 3000

http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/integrated-circuits-ics/embedded-m=
icrocontrollers/2556109?k=3Dstm8&ColumnSort=3D1000011&fid=3D0&pageSize=3D50=
0

SYM8S003F3P6
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/STM8S003F3P6/497-11946-5-ND/276568=
2

....F3P6
91c / 1
64c / 100
39 / 1000
33.3c / 10000

Datasheet   http://www.st.com/web/en/resource/technical/document/datasheet/=
DM00024550.pdf
Info page  http://www.st.com/web/catalog/mmc/FM141/SC1244/SS1010/LN2/PF2517=
92?referrer=3D70071840

Core 16 MHz advanced STM8 core with Harvard architecture and 3-stage
pipeline Extended instruction set
8 Kbytes Flash; data retention 20 years at 55 =B0C after 100 cycles
RAM: 1 Kbytes
128 bytes of true data EEPROM; endurance up to 100 k write/erase cycles
Clock, reset and supply management 2.95 to 5.5 V
 Low power crystal resonator oscillator  / External clock
inputInternal,user-trimmable  / 16 MHz RC Internal low power  / 128
kHz RC
Clock security system with clock monitor
Power management: Low power modes (wait, active-halt, halt) Switch-off
peripheral clocks individually Permanently active,low consumption
power-on and power-down reset
 32 interrupts Up to 27 external interrupts on 6 vectors
Timers Advanced control timer: 16-bit, 4 CAPCOM channels, 3
complementary outputs, dead-time insertion and flexible
synchronization 16-bit general purpose timer, with 3 CAPCOM channels
(IC, OC or PWM) 8-bit basic timer with 8-bit prescalerAuto wakeup
timer Window watchdog, independent watchdog timers
 UART with clock output for synchronous operation,
Smartcard,
IrDA,
LIN SPI interface up to 8 Mbit/s
I2C interface up to 400 Kbit/s
Analog to digital converter (ADC) 10-bit, =B11 LSB ADC with up to 5
multiplexed channels, scan mode and analog watchdog
I/Os Up to 28 I/Os on a 32-pin package including 21 high sink outputs
Highly robust I/O design, immune against current injection
Development support Embedded single wire interface module (SWIM) for
fast on-chip programming and non intrusive debugging





         Russell

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