Getting Asian 8051 uC going - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MarkR42
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2020, 10:41:03 pm
content: Hi,I'm thinking of trying to get the Amiccom A8105 microcontroller working. This is a tricky part because it has a radio in and requires a specific layout and passives to work, and I have access to limited documentation.I've got the datasheet but no dev documentation or dev board or anything.I have asked the vendor for more info, I'm still waiting.The part has two pins called TTAG_TTDIO and TTAG_TTCK which are used for debugging / programming. What can I do to get it going? I am guessing that a segger-type cable would work?I have programmed other micrcontrollers but not a 8051, I note that many Asian parts are 8051-compatible-ish. It should be pretty easy, right, I can use C and SDCC or some other compiler (Keil ?)Ideas appreciated, or take the piss if you prefer.

author: greenpossum
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2020, 12:44:38 am
content: Doesn't look like a 8051 CPU, datasheet says 2.4GHz FSK/GFSK SOC.If it is indeed a 8051 variant, usually the base registers are 8051 compatible and then they add their application specific registers but exactly how it's flashed varies. So that may affect your toolchain and dev hardware.

author: PCB.Wiz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2020, 04:19:00 am
content: Quote from: MarkR42 on May 03, 2020, 10:41:03 pmThe code part will likely be simple, the Registers and Debug will be more difficult...Their website saysThis device integrates high speed pipeline 8051 MCU, 32KBytes In-system programmable flash memory, 256Bytes internal data RAM, 2KBytes external data RAM, various powerful functions and excellent performance of a leading 2.4GHz FSK/GFSK RF transceiver.DatasheetApplication NoteReference circuit design (Module)Reference/LIB codeEvaluation kit (EK)Development Board (DVP)ICE toolFlash/OTP programming toolProduction test tool*Please contact the agents or sales for more detailsSo sounds like they have all the pieces, you just need to get them.

author: WattsThat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2020, 04:24:02 am
content: Gotta love the marketing translation:“High performance pipeline complicated 8051“

author: jackthomson43
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2020, 04:35:13 am
content: Quote from: MarkR42 on May 03, 2020, 10:41:03 pmYeah it's quite easy. I have always used Keil for compiling code for 8051Microcontrollersand then a burner to upload the hex file.

author: PCB.Wiz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2020, 05:13:13 am
content: Quote from: WattsThat on May 04, 2020, 04:24:02 amHehe yes, that was worth a chuckle..

author: MarkR42
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2020, 08:52:13 am
content: Just to be clear, I'm interested in the chip because of its radio, not its amazingly high spec micro and clear documentation!

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2020, 07:31:55 pm
content: I'd look at chips from TI or Silabs. At least you have some chance of getting (community) support.If you do want to go ahead with the Asian chip then make sure to investigate thouroughly which programming hardware & software you need. There is no such thing as a universal protocol and thus there is no such thing as a universal programmer.Also, when using an 8051 processor you will want to use the compiler from Keil; generating efficient (fast) code from C for a processor like the 8051 is difficult. SDCC isn't bad but the compiler from Keil is amazingly good given how obfustigated the 8051 is. However my recommendation would be to avoid using a chip with a 8051 processor unless part costs are an issue. But even then I would make the prototype based on a chip with a more powerful / more flexible processor.

author: MarkR42
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2020, 07:57:55 pm
content: Yeah I don't want this part because it is a particularly good part, I want it because it has a good chance of interoperating with other radios *from the same vendor* which are very popular in radio control applications.They do a line of radio chips, some of which are just transcievers (or rx-only, or tx-only) and others, like the A8105, have a microcontroller too. This is the simplest one which is easily gettable.I am hoping that Amiccom will help me on this, even though I am just a hobbyist. I have emailed them.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2020, 03:14:05 pm
content: " The part has two pins called TTAG_TTDIO and TTAG_TTCK "In fact, are 3 relevant pinsttck Clock signal inttdio Data ( io)rsto Reset OutputYou will need the Ice toolhttp://www.buddies-tech.com/pi/20140219-154340_a8105%20datasheet%20v0.028preliminary29%2028129.pdfRegarding software have many compilers for c available even some pascal compilers like mikroe, But just to set a bunch of registers assembler will be enough

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 05, 2020, 03:35:40 pm
content: Quote from: PCB.Wiz on May 04, 2020, 05:13:13 amThis may be Chinglish but FWIW 1T 8051 is faster than AVR and PIC and generally can run at higher clock.