Every once in a while we like to make sure we’re on the right track. One of the ways we do this is with a reader survey that asks readers specific questions about themselves and us. The knowledge we gain helps us concentrate on publishing the high-quality editorial you like as well as finding advertisers with products you appreciate.

So what did we learn this time? Well, most of you are in your peak professional years. You tend to prefer working in companies with less than 100 employees. You’re all overeducated and make a lot of money. Some of you have really weird ideas. But, most of all, you like Circuit Cellar. So, I guess that means I still have a job.

Seriously, the survey reinforced my belief that Circuit Cellar’s direction should always be evolutionary rather than static. Occasionally, I’m criticized for making Circuit Cellar too “high-level.” We were all beginners at one time, but now we are professionals. As a magazine, Circuit Cellar can either choose to have an editorial level that readers pass through on their career climb or have an editorial focus that tracks evolving technology and stays with readers at the professional level. Overwhelmingly, readers concur with our direction, but they also want us to know that part of that evolution now includes an interest in articles and projects dealing with timely environmental issues like solar panel controllers, fuel/consumption monitors and gauges, and power-saving systems. 

The survey is also intended to determine which products should be advertised based on a reader’s professional activities and which components, MCUs, software tools, or soft cores they intend to purchase in the future. The conclusion, from a marketing perspective, is that programmable logic is an inexorably growing trend despite challenges from overly complex/pricey tools. And, the budget-priced “deeply embedded” programmable logic market is growing thanks to Moore’s law and the emergence of very capable flash-based parts from some key suppliers.

Finally, contests are still a hot draw, and I’m only encouraged more with reader comments like these:

Circuit Cellar-managed contests are an added bonus to the subscription. These contests are a great way to learn about new tools and the technologies that they represent. Reviewing completed contest entries can spark new design ideas. Great work!

A nice opportunity to develop new applications that you've been thinking about but never came to realize. The possibility it might be published even makes you want to put that little vital extra effort into it.

Circuit Cellar readers love participating in our design contests and poring over all the unique embedded systems design projects they provide. Why is this so significant? Consider that our most recently concluded design contest was centered on using higher-functioning ARM MCUs. Not only did we receive an exceptional amount of interest in this contest up front, but our readership survey indicates that the expanded web presentation of these ARM contest projects is perhaps one of the most popular to date among our readers. According to the survey, readers put ARM among their top four selections when it came to a wish list of sponsors for the next Circuit Cellar design contest. This is consistent with our conclusion that our readership isn’t shying away from more complex, higher-functioning MCU architectures. They’re following the evolution in the industry and embracing it. The survey reveals that our readers are still strongly considerate of cost-effective, 8-bit design solutions (65%), but the number of potential ARM users among them will almost double in the immediate future to more than 30% (the highest of any CPU we had listed in the “intend to use in a future design” category).

This documented interest in more complex processors and MCUs corroborates the fact that Circuit Cellar’s audience is truly comprised of hands-on design engineers and serious electronic devotees. They are actively engaged in obtaining the precise knowledge and experience necessary to satisfy the most difficult on-the-job design challenges—whether they involve souped-up 8-bit, practical 16-bit, vigorous ARM, or refined soft-core/FPGA. Stay tuned for more.