>
> James wrote:
>
> > You might also want to look at National COP800.  They have
> > some pretty interesting parts also.
>
>   If the COP881 is representative of that series, then most of us can
> happily forget that one!
>
>   Reason?  Well, the programming algorithms are **TOTALLY** unavailable,
> released only to third-party manufacturers on pain on non-disclosure
> agreement, blah, blah, blah, etc.
>
>   Why do you think PICs have become so popular all of a sudden?  Two
> reasons actually, one is that they have been made available in small
> quantity (i.e., less than 1000 pcs), and the other is the 16C84 with
> the ability to be programmed with a dead simple circuit using publically
> available algorithms.  The rest is history as they say.  In fact, the
> decision by MicroChip to publically release the programming data for
> the other devices has arguably been a prerequisite for the popularity as
> a series.
>
>   I submit that any other manufacturer fulfilling the same two criteria
> would have enjoyed the same success (had they wanted to?).  Motorola for
> example has the MC68HC05K2 which is just as easy to program, but simply
> not available in the same sense as the PICs.
>
>   I have a quantity of COP881CMHD-3 (Windowed EPROM) purchased second
> hand, and they are since offered even cheaper (I won't offend you with
> the price!).  As useful as the proverbial teats on a bull (I presume
> this translates OK?) because support=0.0 .  Look at them you may, but
> that's ALL I can do with them!
>
>   Cheers,
> Paul B.