Every now and again we take a look around at the 8051 microcontroller to select the best tutorials, simulators, compilers, programmers and present them to you in a brief overview. The choice is enormous, so the time you need to find all these resources is usually the time you should be investing in your current projects. We search for them, and we find them, so you can have it in one place.



8051 is not just a random number; it’s the name of one of the most frequently used microcontroller in robotics. This single chip microcontroller is a very small black piece where are stored functions like CPU, RAM, ROM, Timer, Serial Communication Interface, I/O ports, etc. The first version was presented in the 1980s, and since then the microcontroller has been embedded in a large variety of robotics projects.

The 8051 microcontroller is a small computer based on an architecture with support for embedded applications. This is the biggest difference between a microcontroller and microprocessor. A microprocessor is used in personal computers while a microcontroller is used for embedded systems, especially in robotics.



8051 Microcontroller Programming Tutorials

Beginners or advanced users can read these tutorials and learn how to program an 8051 microcontroller, or in the case of advanced users, can use them for inspiration.

Simulators

Useful development tools compatible with the 8051 microcontroller.

Raisonance – application simulator for 8051 microcontrollers;

JSIM51 – one of the most popular simulators with comprehensive documentation to learn how to use the 8051 microcontroller;

Micro C 8051 – C de programare Embedded – seria de articole pentru 8051 microcontroler;

C51 Software – a simulator tool for classic and extended 8051 microcontrollers;

Proteus VSM for 8051 – complete tools to develop and test programming line for all series of 8051 microcontrollers;

Crossware 8051 – a simulation tool that creates a virtual clone of 8051 microcontrollers that runs on computers;

EdSim51 – one of the most popular simulator tool for 8051 series with interface for virtual peripherals and keyboard, ADC, or DAC;

Tiny 8051 Microcontroller Simulator 0.6.1 – designed for educational purposes, Tiny is a simulator written in C# language to simulate and debug the 8051 microcontroller;

Compilers

The list with C or C++ compilers that support the 8051 microcontroller series.

Programmer

In this section, we did a list of hardware devices called programmer. These devices are used to write in the 8051 microcontroller memory the machine language code.

8051 Microcontroller Instructions Set

For a precise control, the microcontrollers may operate under instructions. These instructions are commands written for microcontroller and divided into various categories including arithmetic, logic, data transfer, Boolean variables, and machine control instructions.