A Microcontroller Survey Markets for microcontrollers can run into millions of units per application. At these volumes the microcontroller is a commodity item and must be optimized so that cost is at a minimum. Semiconductor manufacturers have produced a mind-numbing array of designs that would seem to meet almost any need. Some of the chips listed in this section are no longer in regular production, most are current, and a few are best termed "smokeware": the dreams of an aggressive marketing department. Four-Bit Microcontrollers In a commodity chip, expense is represented more by the volume of the package and the number of pins it has than the amount of silicon inside. To minimize pin count and package size, it is necessary that the basic data word-bit count be held to a minimum, while still enabling useful intelligence to be implemented. Although 4 bits, in this era of 64-bit "maximicros," may seem somewhat ludicrous, we must recall that the original ...