Selecting the right device on which to base your new design can be daunting. The need to make the right balance of price, performance and power consumption has many implications. First, there will be the immediate technology considerations for the design you are able to embark on, but if the device, whether microcontroller (MCU) or microprocessor (MPU), becomes the basis of a platform approach for a range of new products then the decision can have long-lasting consequences.