The Art of Doing Science and Engineering: Learning to Learn

by Richard Hamming

As a last observation in this area let me talk about special-purpose ic chips. It is immensely ego gratifying to have special-purpose chips for your special job, but there are very high costs associated with them. First, of course, is the design cost. Then there is the “troubleshooting” of the chip. Instead, if you find a general-purpose chip, which may possibly cost a bit more, then you gain the following advantages: Other users of the chip will help find the errors, or other weaknesses, if there are any. Other users will help write the manuals needed to use it. Other users, including the manufacturer, will suggest upgrades of the chip, hence you can expect a steady stream of improved chips with little or no effort on your part. Inventory will not be a serious problem. Since, as I have repeatedly said, technical progress is going on at an increasing rate, it follows technological obsolescence will be much more rapid in the future than it is now. You will hardly get a system installed and working before there are significant improvements which you can adapt by mere program changes if you have used general-purpose chips and good programming methods rather than your special-purpose chip, which will almost certainly tie you down to your first design. Hence beware of special-purpose chips! Though many times they are essential.