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I agree with you, and that's normally true that hardware is cheaper than software. The situations is more complicated for IoT devices. They cannot scale out, and sometimes you need their size and power requirements.
I am building something for a client on just such a platform now. Bit twiddling is necessary. They're paying for the privilege of running on one of these little guys. That's how I look at it.
I love doing it too. It means what I used to only be able to do for fun I get to do professionally now.
Real programmers use butterflies
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I remember doing embedded applications and we only had 4K of RAM. That was a real thrill.
So many years of programming I have forgotten more languages than I know.
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4kB is not a lot! That sounds like fun. 520kB seems like an incredible amount in comparison until you add the libraries for the bluetooth, the wifi, the touchscreen, the SD read/write, the HTTP REST client w/ JSON and the Fat32 FS to go with the SD pretty soon it's not much at all!
Real programmers use butterflies
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64K of RAM. You were spoiled. I remember using MC6805 processors that had just under 2K EEPROM and 112 bytes of RAM, including stack.
Did some amazing things with this, including a Point-of-Sale dual printer driver that controlled everything, including firing the print head, fonts, 4 different print hardware, bit-banged serial port.
Everything was interrupt driven state-machines to reduce RAM requirements and provide multi-tasking.
I even had to use some interrupt vectors for code space.
It was glorious fun.
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
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well when you start to add the libraries for bluetooth , wifi, the touch screen, the SD, the Fat32 filesystem for the SD, etc that 520kB RAM isn't much, but 112 bytes is insane.
Real programmers use butterflies
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honey the codewitch wrote: finally 32 bit Wow, have we got news for you!
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Okay so I worded that badly!
Real programmers use butterflies
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I have a client that asks me if I ever sleep. He's right to. I only sleep for 4 hours at a time so if you don't live with me it can seem like I'm always awake.
It's one of the reasons I like Brits, the Germans and well basically folks from western Europe. You all are awake when I am and most of you speak English.
I know a little Spanish but that doesn't help me as much as most of the speakers I know are in a similar time zone.
Anyway thank you all for existing and haunting the same website I do. It makes the wee hours more tolerable.
Real programmers use butterflies
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honey the codewitch wrote: the wee hours At my age that can mean other things.
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And several wees at my age.
I'm not sure how many cookies it makes to be happy, but so far it's not 27.
JaxCoder.com
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My trick is to convince my aging bladder and that of my two 8 year old greyhounds that they need to be emptied at the same time during the night.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Yeah I could see where syncing with them would be a challenge.
When i was younger we had a huge male German shepherd and whenever we fed him soft food, alpo he would get gas and it was so bad that it would wake us out of a dead sleep with tears in our eyes.
I'm not sure how many cookies it makes to be happy, but so far it's not 27.
JaxCoder.com
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Hera, our female, has that problem despite the fat-free plain yogurt we add to their food. I've been working from home for the last several months, and I can't figure out how she manages to save it up until I have the door closed while I'm on an online meeting.
Greyhound gas is lethal. I'm convinced it's their version of nitrous oxide.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I'd be tempted to add Gas'x. I think that's the name, to her food
I'm not sure how many cookies it makes to be happy, but so far it's not 27.
JaxCoder.com
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I'm also in the age bracket where "an all nighter" means not getting out of bed instead of not getting into bed.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Or as the saying goes; "it takes all night to do what I used to do all night".
I'm not sure how many cookies it makes to be happy, but so far it's not 27.
JaxCoder.com
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Getting old sucks. All you can really do is laugh about it I suppose.
I'm in my early 40s so I'm just starting. I get new creaks and groans every year, sleep less, can't eat dairy anymore, etc.
It hasn't gotten serious yet, but then if my family history is any indication I won't see 60.
Real programmers use butterflies
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honey the codewitch wrote: Getting old sucks.
Nope.
It's waaaaaaaay better than the alternative!
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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LOL that's fair. Considering I won't be getting that old I try to look on the bright side. I'll never need a walker or diapers.
Real programmers use butterflies
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Sorry - I hadn't realized you were vitality challenged. Please accept my apologies if I caused any offense or upset: it was not intentional and I will endeavour not to do it again.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Oh don't worry about it. I'm not in poor physical health. It's just that for whatever reason none of my family make it to 60. I don't know what it will be that takes me out if anything, but I'm just not making plans.
Real programmers use butterflies
modified 28-Nov-20 10:19am.
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As they say with the stock market: "past performance may not be indicative of future results".
My father died young - under 40 - and my mother only made it to her 70's.
That doesn't mean I can't reach the ton, or more (Covid / Fall Of Civilization permitting).
Remember that diet and environment were much worse for our ancestors than they are for us, so "past performance" means nothing unless the same known incurable genetic condition took them all!
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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My situation is complicated by my mental health, and because i am a queer person. All of which statistically leads to dying pretty young but of various causes that are more or less ancillary to those core traits.
And the mental health stuff certainly runs in my family. The more serious cluster As are no joke.
Real programmers use butterflies
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So true. As a friend of mine remarked the other day, "When I wake up in the morning I think, 'Oh that's nice, another day in my life'".
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