One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design

Jim Thompson · Jul 16, 2004

480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax

Tim Wescott · Jul 16, 2004

Jim Thompson wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So you _are_ working for Microsoft -- no, wait -- this is probably much
more reliable.

Never mind.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

John Larkin · Jul 16, 2004

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:04:46 -0700, Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So, what's your estimate of the total number of JT-designed ICs that
have ever been produced? I mean actual individual chips, not designs.

John

John Woodgate · Jul 16, 2004

I read in sci.electronics.design that Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote (in <qfrff09ri4ooh4q1j6iq90sudjuo4llsil@
4ax.com&gt

about 'One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip
Design', on Fri, 16 Jul 2004:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

Have you got versions for elderly electronic engineers that emit 'sawing
Ebonite', 'hot Paxolin' and 'selenium dioxide'? (;-)
--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only.
The good news is that nothing is compulsory.
The bad news is that everything is prohibited.
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk

Jim Thompson · Jul 16, 2004

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:35:45 -0700, John Larkin
<jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:04:46 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So, what's your estimate of the total number of JT-designed ICs that
have ever been produced? I mean actual individual chips, not designs.

John

I wouldn't know where to begin.

Probably the 1488/1489 RS-232 chip set would have had the highest
volume.

Although my alternator regulator chips would be up in the millions
also.

The PLL stuff would be high volume but not astronomic.

Then I have probably 100 custom chips, designed for
application-specific use, probably each in the 10K/year category.

But this latest one for SC Johnson will probably be an all-time
high... only way the volume could be any better would be if it fit
into a TP dispenser ;-)

BTW: This design runs off a single cell, boosts its own VDD, and has
also a HV output to drive a piezo actuator that drives the pump. Also
counts the time between "squirts" ;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice

480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax

John Larkin · Jul 16, 2004

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:03:33 -0700, Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:35:45 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:04:46 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So, what's your estimate of the total number of JT-designed ICs that
have ever been produced? I mean actual individual chips, not designs.

John

I wouldn't know where to begin.

Probably the 1488/1489 RS-232 chip set would have had the highest
volume.

Although my alternator regulator chips would be up in the millions
also.

The PLL stuff would be high volume but not astronomic.

Then I have probably 100 custom chips, designed for
application-specific use, probably each in the 10K/year category.

But this latest one for SC Johnson will probably be an all-time
high... only way the volume could be any better would be if it fit
into a TP dispenser ;-)

BTW: This design runs off a single cell, boosts its own VDD, and has
also a HV output to drive a piezo actuator that drives the pump. Also
counts the time between "squirts" ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Hey, Here's my latest gadget:

http://www.highlandtechnology.com/DSS/P400DS.html

Actually, three of us here worked on this for about three years as
sort of a background project, when we didn't have a paying customer
screaming for delivery on something. I never appreciated how much
hassle a benchtop instrument would really be until this got serious. A
VME or PCI board is blindingly simple compared to all the stuff you
have to put into a box like this. And by the time you finish it,
things have changed so much you're dying to redesign it again from
scratch. m.u.s.t..r.e.s.i.s.t..t.e.m.p.t.a.t.i.o.n.

John

Roy McCammon · Jul 16, 2004

Jim Thompson wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

must be one of those obscure definitions of "contribution"
with which I am not familiar.

--
local optimization seldom leads to global optimization

my e-mail address is: <my first name> <my last name> AT mmm DOT com

Jim Thompson · Jul 16, 2004

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:52:50 -0700, John Larkin
<jjlarkin@highSNIPlandTHIStechPLEASEnology.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:03:33 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:35:45 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:04:46 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So, what's your estimate of the total number of JT-designed ICs that
have ever been produced? I mean actual individual chips, not designs.

John

I wouldn't know where to begin.

Probably the 1488/1489 RS-232 chip set would have had the highest
volume.

Although my alternator regulator chips would be up in the millions
also.

The PLL stuff would be high volume but not astronomic.

Then I have probably 100 custom chips, designed for
application-specific use, probably each in the 10K/year category.

But this latest one for SC Johnson will probably be an all-time
high... only way the volume could be any better would be if it fit
into a TP dispenser ;-)

BTW: This design runs off a single cell, boosts its own VDD, and has
also a HV output to drive a piezo actuator that drives the pump. Also
counts the time between "squirts" ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Hey, Here's my latest gadget:

http://www.highlandtechnology.com/DSS/P400DS.html

Actually, three of us here worked on this for about three years as
sort of a background project, when we didn't have a paying customer
screaming for delivery on something. I never appreciated how much
hassle a benchtop instrument would really be until this got serious. A
VME or PCI board is blindingly simple compared to all the stuff you
have to put into a box like this. And by the time you finish it,
things have changed so much you're dying to redesign it again from
scratch. m.u.s.t..r.e.s.i.s.t..t.e.m.p.t.a.t.i.o.n.

John

480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax

Tim Wescott · Jul 16, 2004

Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:51:18 -0700, Tim Wescott
tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:35:45 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:04:46 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So, what's your estimate of the total number of JT-designed ICs that
have ever been produced? I mean actual individual chips, not designs.

John

I wouldn't know where to begin.

Probably the 1488/1489 RS-232 chip set would have had the highest
volume.

Although my alternator regulator chips would be up in the millions
also.

The PLL stuff would be high volume but not astronomic.

Then I have probably 100 custom chips, designed for
application-specific use, probably each in the 10K/year category.

But this latest one for SC Johnson will probably be an all-time
high... only way the volume could be any better would be if it fit
into a TP dispenser ;-)

BTW: This design runs off a single cell, boosts its own VDD, and has
also a HV output to drive a piezo actuator that drives the pump. Also
counts the time between "squirts" ;-)

...Jim Thompson

I suppose this is going to be even more volume than those cheezy $5.00
calculators -- but how about $1.98 wristwatches?

Which PLL stuff did you design, and are there any useful Motorola (sorry
-- freonscale) chips that you _haven't_ designed?

I laid myself off in 1970, so anything after that is someone else's
work.... although there's really nothing new, just process
improvements on designs by Ron Treadway and myself.

...Jim Thompson

I've never laid myself off, but I've fired the boss three times now.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Julie · Jul 16, 2004

Jim Thompson wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

Nice.

Just out of curiosity (I'm not after $$ figures), but how is a chip project
like that handled?

Did you design that chip specifically for SC Johnson, under contract?

On what are your payments based? Was it a fixed-amount one-time payment,
per-piece license fee? Who owns the rights to the design?

Finally, who handles your licensing/contract agreements?

Thanks for any info --

Martin · Jul 16, 2004

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:qfrff09ri4ooh4q1j6iq90sudjuo4llsil@4ax.com...

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

That's pretty cute. My wife wants to know if you could add a sensor to it
that would increase the squirt frequency when I need a shower.

Joerg · Jul 16, 2004

Hi John,

Have you got versions for elderly electronic engineers that emit 'sawing
Ebonite', 'hot Paxolin' and 'selenium dioxide'? (;-)

How about "drilling bakelite"? Or "overloaded carbon resistor", "eau de

electrolytics" and "parfume de tubes with dust on them"?

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

Mark Valery · Jul 16, 2004

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 10:17:03 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:52:50 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highSNIPlandTHIStechPLEASEnology.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:03:33 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:35:45 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:04:46 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So, what's your estimate of the total number of JT-designed ICs that
have ever been produced? I mean actual individual chips, not designs.

John

I wouldn't know where to begin.

Probably the 1488/1489 RS-232 chip set would have had the highest
volume.

Although my alternator regulator chips would be up in the millions
also.

The PLL stuff would be high volume but not astronomic.

Then I have probably 100 custom chips, designed for
application-specific use, probably each in the 10K/year category.

But this latest one for SC Johnson will probably be an all-time
high... only way the volume could be any better would be if it fit
into a TP dispenser ;-)

BTW: This design runs off a single cell, boosts its own VDD, and has
also a HV output to drive a piezo actuator that drives the pump. Also
counts the time between "squirts" ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Hey, Here's my latest gadget:

http://www.highlandtechnology.com/DSS/P400DS.html

Actually, three of us here worked on this for about three years as
sort of a background project, when we didn't have a paying customer
screaming for delivery on something. I never appreciated how much
hassle a benchtop instrument would really be until this got serious. A
VME or PCI board is blindingly simple compared to all the stuff you
have to put into a box like this. And by the time you finish it,
things have changed so much you're dying to redesign it again from
scratch. m.u.s.t..r.e.s.i.s.t..t.e.m.p.t.a.t.i.o.n.

John

ROTFLMAO! That's a constant problem with circuit designers... when to
let it loose and call it completed... I'm always in a quandary with
"perfection" ;-)

...Jim Thompson

I don't know what ROTFLMAO stands for, but an old engineer once
said to me "Shoot the engineer, deliver the product".

Mark

Jim Thompson · Jul 16, 2004

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 17:00:34 -0400, Mark Valery <mevalery@attbi.com>
wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 10:17:03 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:52:50 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highSNIPlandTHIStechPLEASEnology.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:03:33 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:35:45 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:04:46 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So, what's your estimate of the total number of JT-designed ICs that
have ever been produced? I mean actual individual chips, not designs.

John

I wouldn't know where to begin.

Probably the 1488/1489 RS-232 chip set would have had the highest
volume.

Although my alternator regulator chips would be up in the millions
also.

The PLL stuff would be high volume but not astronomic.

Then I have probably 100 custom chips, designed for
application-specific use, probably each in the 10K/year category.

But this latest one for SC Johnson will probably be an all-time
high... only way the volume could be any better would be if it fit
into a TP dispenser ;-)

BTW: This design runs off a single cell, boosts its own VDD, and has
also a HV output to drive a piezo actuator that drives the pump. Also
counts the time between "squirts" ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Hey, Here's my latest gadget:

http://www.highlandtechnology.com/DSS/P400DS.html

Actually, three of us here worked on this for about three years as
sort of a background project, when we didn't have a paying customer
screaming for delivery on something. I never appreciated how much
hassle a benchtop instrument would really be until this got serious. A
VME or PCI board is blindingly simple compared to all the stuff you
have to put into a box like this. And by the time you finish it,
things have changed so much you're dying to redesign it again from
scratch. m.u.s.t..r.e.s.i.s.t..t.e.m.p.t.a.t.i.o.n.

John

ROTFLMAO! That's a constant problem with circuit designers... when to
let it loose and call it completed... I'm always in a quandary with
"perfection" ;-)

...Jim Thompson
I don't know what ROTFLMAO stands for, but an old engineer once
said to me "Shoot the engineer, deliver the product".

Mark

480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax

Ian Stirling · Jul 16, 2004

In sci.electronics.design Jim Thompson <thegreatone@example.com> wrote:
<snip>

BTW: This design runs off a single cell, boosts its own VDD, and has
also a HV output to drive a piezo actuator that drives the pump. Also
counts the time between "squirts" ;-)

Can you give any more info about the pump, sounds like it might be handy
for micropumping applications, at a fraction of the price of a proper one.

Can the timer be defeated so it runs whenever it gets power?

Just shows that though it's a simple circuit, that even I could
design in a couple of hours, and probably use no more than 7 components
that there'll be a place for custom silicon for a while yet.

Watson A.Name \"Watt Sun · Jul 17, 2004

Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:35:45 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:04:46 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

...Jim Thompson

So, what's your estimate of the total number of JT-designed ICs that
have ever been produced? I mean actual individual chips, not designs.

John

I wouldn't know where to begin.

Probably the 1488/1489 RS-232 chip set would have had the highest
volume.

But not due to lack of ruggedness. Every Radio Snack carries (or
carried) these, and they just gathered dust on the shelf, indicating to
me that there were not many of them going bad. Must've been built like
the proverbial brick sh#thouse. ;-)

Although my alternator regulator chips would be up in the millions
also.

Each one being connected to an automobile, so you can get a good idea of
the quantity by looking at the number of vehicles sold.

The PLL stuff would be high volume but not astronomic.

Then I have probably 100 custom chips, designed for
application-specific use, probably each in the 10K/year category.

But this latest one for SC Johnson will probably be an all-time
high... only way the volume could be any better would be if it fit
into a TP dispenser ;-)

Unfortunately huge volume would mean very low cost, and not a lotta $$$.

BTW: This design runs off a single cell, boosts its own VDD, and has
also a HV output to drive a piezo actuator that drives the pump. Also
counts the time between "squirts" ;-)

Who makes them? Or who makes the circuit board? Or who makes.... :-?

> ...Jim Thompson

Watson A.Name \"Watt Sun · Jul 17, 2004

Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:52:50 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highSNIPlandTHIStechPLEASEnology.com> wrote:

[snip]

And by the time you finish it,
things have changed so much you're dying to redesign it again from
scratch. m.u.s.t..r.e.s.i.s.t..t.e.m.p.t.a.t.i.o.n.

John

ROTFLMAO! That's a constant problem with circuit designers... when to
let it loose and call it completed... I'm always in a quandary with
"perfection" ;-)

I thought that's why god made EEPROMs - so you could make major changes
with a chip change. You can just charge the customer a couple thou to
fly a tech out and 'upgrade ' the box, and recal it.

> ...Jim Thompson

Julie · Jul 17, 2004

Activ8 wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 11:06:01 -0700, Julie wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

Nice.

Just out of curiosity (I'm not after $$ figures), but how is a chip project
like that handled?

Did you design that chip specifically for SC Johnson, under contract?

On what are your payments based? Was it a fixed-amount one-time payment,
per-piece license fee? Who owns the rights to the design?

Finally, who handles your licensing/contract agreements?

Thanks for any info --

That's basically what I'd ask, but if you recall, Jim kill filed
you. Maybe you've been pardoned by now.
--
Best Regards,
Mike

I've got to ask, how in the world did you remember that JT killfiled me?

Activ8 · Jul 17, 2004

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 23:24:46 -0700, Julie wrote:

Activ8 wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 11:06:01 -0700, Julie wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

Nice.

Just out of curiosity (I'm not after $$ figures), but how is a chip project
like that handled?

Did you design that chip specifically for SC Johnson, under contract?

On what are your payments based? Was it a fixed-amount one-time payment,
per-piece license fee? Who owns the rights to the design?

Finally, who handles your licensing/contract agreements?

Thanks for any info --

That's basically what I'd ask, but if you recall, Jim kill filed
you. Maybe you've been pardoned by now.
--
Best Regards,
Mike

I've got to ask, how in the world did you remember that JT killfiled me?

I remember just about everything. It keeps people honest, at least
once they figure out that they can't get over on me and that's
assuming that I let them know that I know rather than pretending to
not know... when I really know. You never know

BTW. It wasn't your OT mini-rant that got you killfiled and Jim
didn't say why, just that he did it some time ago (prior to that OT
thing.) IIRC he alluded to thinking you were posing as a female,
though I'm not sure that's what landed you in his bozo bin.

At any rate, I'd like to know the answers to those questions.
--
Best Regards,
Mike

Kevin Aylward · Jul 17, 2004

Activ8 wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 23:24:46 -0700, Julie wrote:

Activ8 wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 11:06:01 -0700, Julie wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:

One of My High Technology Contributions to Microchip Design...

http://www.glade.com/wisp.asp

Nice.

Just out of curiosity (I'm not after $$ figures), but how is a
chip project like that handled?

Did you design that chip specifically for SC Johnson, under
contract?

On what are your payments based? Was it a fixed-amount one-time
payment, per-piece license fee? Who owns the rights to the design?

Finally, who handles your licensing/contract agreements?

Thanks for any info --

That's basically what I'd ask, but if you recall, Jim kill filed
you. Maybe you've been pardoned by now.
--
Best Regards,
Mike

I've got to ask, how in the world did you remember that JT killfiled
me?

I remember just about everything. It keeps people honest, at least
once they figure out that they can't get over on me and that's
assuming that I let them know that I know rather than pretending to
not know... when I really know. You never know

BTW. It wasn't your OT mini-rant that got you killfiled and Jim
didn't say why, just that he did it some time ago (prior to that OT
thing.) IIRC he alluded to thinking you were posing as a female,
though I'm not sure that's what landed you in his bozo bin.

At any rate, I'd like to know the answers to those questions.

I think I have a pretty good guess. In my view, its just about certian
that the client bought the thing lock, stock and barrel. It would make
little sense for them to do otherwise. There are plenty of independent
consultancies/companies that will do this, i.e. pretty much all of them.
The golden rule, he who has the gold, makes the rules.

Kevin Aylward
salesEXTRACT@anasoft.co.uk
http://www.anasoft.co.uk
SuperSpice, a very affordable Mixed-Mode
Windows Simulator with Schematic Capture,
Waveform Display, FFT's and Filter Design.

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