In fact, 8-bit devices can do more than you might think. DSPs provide much higher processing power. Some of the major vendors are Motorola, Microchip, NEC, Texas Instruments, Hitachi, Fujitsu. All have application engineers ready and willing to help new users. If you need more design help than an application engineer can offer, a company can refer you to a third party that specializes in designing with and programming its microcontrollers.
Most firms offer evaluation kits, reference designs, and many other resources as well.
And the trend of adding intelligence to everything from household appliances and automobiles to medical equipment and machine tools is just getting started. We really want to know. Implemented in the company's new 0.5-micron process technology, the PIC18F010 and PIC18F020 controllers expand Microchip's portfolio of flash and PIC18 architecture devices. The new devices complement Microchip's line of more than 140 PICmicro microcontrollers and offer a wide range of memory and peripheral options to meet many design requirements. PICmicro pin compatibility decreases prototype time and saves money because engineers can use the new devices in existing pc boards to give those designs new features.