[time-nuts] PLL suggestions

[Magnus Ringman]

On Wed, Jan 1, 2020 at 5:55 PM Bob kb8tq <kb8tq at n1k.org> wrote:
>
> Hi
>
> ....... SOIC-8 is an 8 pin rather than a 6 pin package :)

Almost any 6-pin devices will work too, if the objective is just to
inject configuration into an SPI device.

Hardware SPI is an optional luxury, not a requirement.  Bit-banging
SPI works just fine.  I have done this with early PICs.  May have been
I2C.

Even at the very low end of the more common device catalogs, program
memory will be sufficient to toggle out up to hundred(s) or so bits,
instruction by instruction (no looping.)
Thus a nice project for the crafty could be to write a script to
generate custom bit-loading firmware for flea-size uCs without the
need for a PIC/AVR/ST/etc. devel environment - just bracket a series
of bit-toggling instructions with some once-generated uC management
boilerplate.

If board area is the issue and soldering tech is not, 8-pad DFN
packages are smaller footprint than 6-lead SOT-23s.

another Magnus