This week, MIPS Technologies announced that it's scored another TV set-top box design win. Specifically, the company proudly bragged that NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors) is using the MIPS 24K processor core in its PNX85500 HDTV chip. It’s the first TV chip to be fabricated in 45-nm technology, a significant if short-lived distinction.

With all appropriate kudos to MIPS and NXP, the more interesting story here is why NXP chose to use a MIPS processor. The short answer is, because they had used MIPS before. In a word, inertia.

Inertia is a powerful force, both in physics and in embedded-systems engineering. “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” is a common expression around many engineering labs (or it should be). Engineering is all about building on what you’ve created before. Reinventing the wheel is frowned upon; extending upon proven and stable platforms is the way forward.