Cecil Moore wrote:
Instead of a chip, wouldn't it make more sense
just to use a small subroutine in the CPU?

That's what most radios do these days. Some with
less-than-perfect priorities: The internal keyer
of one particular YAECOMWOD flagship transceiver
I recently had the pleasure to operate generated
broken CW if the processor had other tasks, like
starting the internal fan, to do...

About the topic in general: The cost of adding a
keyer is negligible, and no serious manufacturer
will even consider to omit it from their radios.

It *is* a selling point, no matter if people use
it or not...

73,
--
Fabian Kurz, DJ1YFK * Dresden, Germany * http://fkurz.net/