> Production of low-margin processors, such as those used to weigh clothes in a washing machine or toast bread in a smart toaster
Oh no! What will we ever do? Have to toast bread by pushing down the lever? How barbaric.
The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
701–710 of 741 posts
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#702Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Now find a single person who can program bare hardware on a short notice on above Arduino level. Wait, there's real money in that? Maybe I shouldn't waste my time just doing yard work. Sidenote: I just asked my wife about parts shortages at her workplace. Evidently you guys are right. I should get out more.
No, there isn't real money in this. I've been doing it 30 years now and my earnings curve will never match what a webdev gets. Firmware engineers are the out-of-sight-out-of-mind component in the product development spectrum.
To be fair, nobody's wages were particularly high 30 years ago.
Although the money has been decent, programming complicated devices has spoiled me for one thing..I have just about essentially zero interest in web technologies, products, languages. I've always gotten to work on the sexier version of embedded work and so feel really blessed, it's not all about the lucre.
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#703Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Now find a single person who can program bare hardware on a short notice on above Arduino level. Wait, there's real money in that? Maybe I shouldn't waste my time just doing yard work. Sidenote: I just asked my wife about parts shortages at her workplace. Evidently you guys are right. I should get out more.
Yep, I'd say today is the best opportunity to get a higher paid embedded job than any time before if anybody specifically targets people hiring on urgency. But a thing to remember is that people currently hiring themselves been likely neglecting their RnD before the crisis hit them.
I have to wonder how many of those gigs are getting an ugly legacy codewad dumped in your lap with a short deadline to add features to somebody's automatic swimming pool cleaning product.
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#704Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, there isn't real money in this. I've been doing it 30 years now and my earnings curve will never match what a webdev gets. Firmware engineers are the out-of-sight-out-of-mind component in the product development spectrum.
To be fair, nobody's wages were particularly high 30 years ago. Although the money has been decent, programming complicated devices has spoiled me for one thing..I have just about essentially zero interest in web technologies, products, languages. I've always gotten to work on the sexier version of embedded work and so feel really blessed, it's not all about the lucre.
Just curious, what’s included in the “sexier” version of embedded work?
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#705Earlier quoted context omitted.
I feel like each year cars get way safer. It started with blind spot detectors/cameras, and modern cars will even brake automatically and keep you in your lane (or at least warn you if you leave it). Maybe new features like self-driving aren't as interesting, but I would buy a new car instead of a used one just for the perceived improved safety. I don't know if there's any research showing that these features actuall…
Many of these features add minimal benefit if you do some common-sense stuff such as, don't drive when you're really tired (or drunk, or on drugs, etc.); don't play with your phone while you're driving; don't read, do your makeup, shave, etc. while you're driving. IOW put your focus on the task at hand and you don't really need blind spot detectors. Of course the reality is that people are pretty bad at these things.
I don't have the data, but my car insurance is considerably lower as a result of modern safety features in my vehicle. My insurer has a large checklist of things which correspond with a discount, such as automatic breaking, cameras, blind spot sensors, lane departure alerts and steering, etc. In total it comes to nearly 15% for my vehicle. I suspect it means these things actually save my insurer money on average.
Which brings me to the point of common sense. Not everyone shares it, or uses it, and so these features are useful. We can talk all day about what people should or could do, but at the end of the day, it just isn't going to happen.
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#706Earlier quoted context omitted.
I get that this is a potential big problem, but I had to stop reading when the dog washing company blamed needing to respin a new board on a chip being out of stock due to this. I'm sorry, but if you aren't buying enough chips to build all the boards you want to build of a revision, this is just what happens, chip shortage or no. Stuff gets obsoleted all the time, it doesn't take a chip shortage. Blaming a black swan…
> I had to stop reading when the dog washing company blamed needing to respin a new board on a chip being out of stock due to this ... > if you aren't buying enough chips to build all the boards you want to build of a revision Friendly advice: If you are going to be a consultant to industry, don't post comments like this. As someone who has been manufacturing tech products for over thirty years, my first reaction to…
Excellent post. Thanks for sharing.
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#707"The vast majority of the world’s chips are made in China, while the U.S. is the second biggest producer. "
I guess CNBC doesn't recognize Taiwan?
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#708Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sure. That's what's in it for some "them" out there somewhere. What's in it for me, the consumer who just wants to brush my teeth? (Crickets.) So don't hold your breath for this stuff to take off. Most people won't spend more money to buy something that will benefit someone else.
That's why they build it into everything, so you won't have a choice but to buy it.
Dollars. Somebody's going to follow the dollars. If it costs less to build a toothbrush without bluetooth (and it absolutely does), and if the most of public doesn't care enough about bluetooth to pay more for a toothbrush, then the one who makes bluetooth-less toothbrushes will make more money. Somebody will do that.
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#709Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you're possibly reading more into my statements than there was. No need to be so confrontational. Retail price for the V6 premium trim Mustang I bought was about $26000 retail. The modern equivalent I would say is a V4 with basic trim, because the 2021 base model comes with considerably more technology than the 2011 premium. The only practical difference is leather vs. cloth seats. The retail price for that c…
>> No need to be so confrontational. Not about being confrontational it about dealing in actual facts I disagree with your comparison of a v6 premium to a Base v4 and calling it "the same". Also I think it is unfair to account for technology in the way you have, if we looked at technology in that way then we would have MASSIVE deflation in the world, as a $1500 computer 10 years go would cost $35 to buy a comparable…
I dunno, I think technological progress does cause deflation to some degree, and it's perhaps one reason why folk haven't perceived inflation as much as otherwise over the last couple decades.
Burritos, blue jeans and Honda Civics haven't changed much technologically over the years, and their prices seem to track with average inflation.
From a user experience, a $1500 computer from 10 years ago is still likely to be usable and able to run modern software. Buying a $1500 computer today is a significant upgrade.
Burritos on the other hand aren't changing, and yet they're seemingly 50%-100% more expensive than they were 10 years ago.
Is it not possible that certain markets are deflating while others are inflating?
Re: The global chip shortage is starting to have consequences
#710Earlier quoted context omitted.
I get that this is a potential big problem, but I had to stop reading when the dog washing company blamed needing to respin a new board on a chip being out of stock due to this. I'm sorry, but if you aren't buying enough chips to build all the boards you want to build of a revision, this is just what happens, chip shortage or no. Stuff gets obsoleted all the time, it doesn't take a chip shortage. Blaming a black swan…
Chips shouldn't go obsolete so fast. Your local auto parts store has in stock parts for cars made 50 years ago. That include aftermarket parts made in the past few years. You cannot support right to repair if you support the idea that chips go obsolete.
How much more would you be willing to pay for the same car if all chips in it were guaranteed to be available 50 years from now, at today's price plus inflation?