Up until now, you couldn’t buy a USB dongle license for 8051 compilers. We’re introducing it based on popular demand.
Released in 2008, 8051 compilers were a nod to veteran developers around the globe who grew up working with them. Our top engineers among them. We wanted to build a modern tool for a tried and tested architecture many people had a personal attachment to.
But it turned out that the architecture developed 30 years ago by Intel still merits a following. Sure, 8051 compilers are not our most popular ones, but they cater to a dedicated niche. Atmel and Sillicon Labs are producing a range of 8-bit MCUs based on the 8051 instruction set (See the Easy8051 v6 and the BIG8051 boards). Our compilers support 202 different 8051 microcontrollers.
It is said that the low cost and simplicity of 8051 MCUs warrants their use in education. There’s a free online book on programming 8051 MCUs on our site you can use for such purposes.
All things considered, there wasn’t a reason not to have USB dongles for 8051 compilers. Now we do. The first batch goes to India.
Sincerely Yours,
MikroElektronika