David; What happened to the good old parameter search list? The present Parameter Chip List is just about usless!
If you move to the left of the screen you can browse the vendor but if you are interested just in 8051 with USB 2.0 and you scroll to the communcation columns, you can't browse. It's so slow that it would take all day to find a chip if you did not already know a selected vendor.
Also, when I select the 8051 from the top of the dialog I still get ALL of the products of each vendor.
If I select 8051, I'm not interested in all the ARM chips, the 166 chips, the 251 chips, etc.
What happened? Since it has been quite some time since I attempted to do a parameter search, maybe the lack of use by other Keil users is the real answer? Al Bradford
I think Keil just did something really, really, really, really stupid.
I wonder if they have thought about the number of people who enters their web site just because of that parametric search. Said people are more likely to select Keil than IAR or some other competitor.
But the Keil management are of course entitled to make stupid decisions if they feel bored.
Per; I could not agree more. That's what happens when a small, successful company is absorbed by a giant company. The poor guys at the bottom are trying to stop a mudslide with a pichfork. After reading your post I went to the IAR website. They do not have a parametric serach. They do not have a MCU list. They do not have a supported device list. To paraphrase "Devices change so often we do not attempt to maintain a list. Contact us if you have a device question".
Erik; Have used Digikey often. Never liked their search filters but used them many time. Just for a test, I tried finding the TI CC2531 just using the search filters. After several attempts, I never found the device even though Digkey shows 119 in stock.
Andy; Used your link. After two failures I finally returned to page 1 to "Please read the manual". Small print! Not selecting a check box does not mean it's not selected.
Third try I received two direct hits for an 8051 core with USB2.0. The Atmel part I knew about but the TDK was new to me. I'll keep that link on my favorites list.
Thanks guys.
Also, would you each sent a Problem Report to Keil Tech support on this issue.
Bradford
Indeed!
It doesn't even make sense for ARM: their stated aim in acquiring Keil was to help wean people off 8/16-bit processors onto ARMs; the parametric search was a great way to get visitors onto the site - and everyone knows that "getting them through the door" is a very important step...
Yes, I have used the feedback form...
Take a look at http://www.keil.com/dd/search_parm.asp
The parametric search is still there. But for how long, I do not know.
Maybe I need to make a new web site dedicated to finding the embedded MCUs people need. Hmmmm.
Jon
Maybe get together with the guys at www.computer-solutions.co.uk/.../index.htm ?
Or at www.edn-europe.com/microdirectory.asp
At lest for ARM-based chips, you'd have thought this was something that ARM would do?
That's what happens when a small, successful company run by an engineer is absorbed by a giant company run by an accountant.
I have, just in the last month, had two cases where the 'absorbed' got surprised by directives from the 'absorber' ("no, we will not allow you to do that, as you did in the past").
Quoting Robert Bruce who was the president of a company I worked for which got absorbed "they cut the fat, that was probably healthy, then they cut some meat, we survived, now they want to cut bone".
Erik
Have used Digikey often. Never liked their search filters but used them many time. Just for a test, I tried finding the TI CC2531 just using the search filters. After several attempts, I never found the device even though Digkey shows 119 in stock
I always preferred the Keil one and just suggested the Digikey one as a (lesser) substitute. Just like we had to suggest substitutes after the demise of Brief before the appearance of CodeWright. The Digikey one (when you manage to get what you need) does have the advantage of letting you compare prices.
Jon; That "back door" link http://www.keil.com/dd/search_parm.asp got me to the "good old" search engine. Thanks. Bradford
RIP parametric chip-search
September 2002 - October 2010
http://www.keil.com/forum/1868
Started off with a whopping 550 devices!
Embeddeddeveloper.com was heavily advertised in IQ magazine, and look like it does most of what the Keil chip search did.