Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The first high-yield, sub-penny plastic processor

spectrum.ieee.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 72 posts

Re: The first high-yield, sub-penny plastic processor

#11

Post by mrtnmcc »

acover wrote: post #4
olliej wrote: post #2

My reading of this seems to be a matter of them simply reducing the chip complexity (down to 4 bit) so they can obviously have fewer components on the die. Aside from that simplification, I can't find anything actually new techniques. It also continues to annoy me that semiconductor-on-plastic gets labelled as a plastic processor.

It seems like they changed a lot and got a hugely different niche. > Instead of adapting an existing microcontroller architecture to plastic, Kumar’s team started from scratch to create a design called Flexicore. “Yield goes down very quickly as you increase gate count,” says Kumar. Knowing that, they came up with a design meant to minimize the number of gates needed. Using 4-bit and 8-bit logic instead of 16-bit or…

By reducing gate count on the processor, they effectively will make the programs longer (more instructions to do the same thing), but it doesn't seem like they are counting memory here..

Re: The first high-yield, sub-penny plastic processor

#12

Post by spoonjim »

What's the advantage of a processor that costs less than a penny? I would think that the connectors, battery, I/O, etc. would cost at least 10-25 cents for pretty much anything you can think of. So not sure how much you gain from making the CPU so cheap, unless there are other benefits like power consumption.

Re: The first high-yield, sub-penny plastic processor

#14

Post by londons_explore »

spoonjim wrote: post #12

What's the advantage of a processor that costs less than a penny? I would think that the connectors, battery, I/O, etc. would cost at least 10-25 cents for pretty much anything you can think of. So not sure how much you gain from making the CPU so cheap, unless there are other benefits like power consumption.

There are ways to print solar panels on a plastic substrate too, and led's look possible. NFC antennas are already doable with the same process.

When all the devices can be 'printed', you might be able to put electronics on pages in books/newspapers or on labels of products for zero cents because you're already putting that paper through a printing press.

Re: The first high-yield, sub-penny plastic processor

#15

Post by londons_explore »

acover wrote: post #4
olliej wrote: post #2

My reading of this seems to be a matter of them simply reducing the chip complexity (down to 4 bit) so they can obviously have fewer components on the die. Aside from that simplification, I can't find anything actually new techniques. It also continues to annoy me that semiconductor-on-plastic gets labelled as a plastic processor.

It seems like they changed a lot and got a hugely different niche. > Instead of adapting an existing microcontroller architecture to plastic, Kumar’s team started from scratch to create a design called Flexicore. “Yield goes down very quickly as you increase gate count,” says Kumar. Knowing that, they came up with a design meant to minimize the number of gates needed. Using 4-bit and 8-bit logic instead of 16-bit or…

It does raise the question... Why didn't they just use an Intel 4004... The patents have long expired and plenty of other companies make very old intel clones to out in modern products (eg. Most optical mice use a 50 year old intel to control a custom DSP to do image processing to figure out which way you're moving the mouse)

Re: The first high-yield, sub-penny plastic processor

#16

Post by derefr »

londons_explore wrote: post #15
acover wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like they changed a lot and got a hugely different niche. > Instead of adapting an existing microcontroller architecture to plastic, Kumar’s team started from scratch to create a design called Flexicore. “Yield goes down very quickly as you increase gate count,” says Kumar. Knowing that, they came up with a design meant to minimize the number of gates needed. Using 4-bit and 8-bit logic instead of 16-bit or…

It does raise the question... Why didn't they just use an Intel 4004... The patents have long expired and plenty of other companies make very old intel clones to out in modern products (eg. Most optical mice use a 50 year old intel to control a custom DSP to do image processing to figure out which way you're moving the mouse)

One of their (presumably motivated) choices was to use a Harvard architecture; which a 4004 isn’t.

Re: The first high-yield, sub-penny plastic processor

#19

Post by scotty79 »

ziftface wrote: post #13

Why would anyone actively work towards "ubiquitous electronics"? That sounds like a nightmare.

A person from the other side of the globe can bother you at any time of the day and you are expected to make yourself available for the conversation on moments notice. And it's not just for kings and queens. It's for everybody, like your annoying aunt.

I'm sure someone in the 18 century, when informed, that people are working towards that future would conclude that it's a nightmare.

Re: The first high-yield, sub-penny plastic processor

#20

Post by xg15 »

scotty79 wrote: post #19
ziftface wrote: post #13

Why would anyone actively work towards "ubiquitous electronics"? That sounds like a nightmare.

A person from the other side of the globe can bother you at any time of the day and you are expected to make yourself available for the conversation on moments notice. And it's not just for kings and queens. It's for everybody, like your annoying aunt. I'm sure someone in the 18 century, when informed, that people are working towards that future would conclude that it's a nightmare.

I don't get your point. You mean we should just keep on building a dystopia because someone positive aspects will probably show themselves along the way?
Post reply on HN