• elvith@feddit.de
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    Yeah, not everything needs to have a microprocessor in it, but only few items of those do really have none

    • Obi@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      I’m no expert so asking with curiosity, but wouldn’t even simple things like your coffee machine changing lights when the coffee is ready require (a very simple) one?

      • elvith@feddit.de
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        6 months ago

        Not necessarily. You could have a sensor that detects when the water reservoir is emptied that doesn’t need logic - e.g.

        • a floater with a magnet. If it reaches the bottom, a magnet sensor detects that the water now emptied (or in the coffee pot) or
        • a temperature dependent resistor. If there’s no more water, the temperature in the heater rises and the voltage rises on a wire. If the voltage (=temperature) is above a certain level you get a signal

        You can then use those signals to do something like switch off the heater, change a light,… all without using a microcontroller. There’s no programming needed for that. You might see things like transistors and some basic digital circuitry here but it’s all very basic and still far from a microcontroller.