8051 Microcontroller

Introduction- The 8051 microcontroller is one of the most popular and

widely used microcontroller in the embedded system. It was originally
developed by Intel in 1980. Since then, many companies, such as many
companies, Philips, Silicon Labs and others have created better versions
of 8051 with additional features, but the core architecture is the same.
What is a microcontroller?
A microcontroller is an integrated circuit (IC) that adds:
A CPU (Central Processing Unit)
RAM (Random access memory)
ROM (only-level memory) / flash memory
Input/Output (I/O)
Port Timer/Counter Serial communication port
All these components are embedded in the same chip. Microcontrollers
are mainly used to control equipment and automation in embedded
systems.

Features of 8051 Microcontroller-

The 8051 microcontroller is a powerful and versatile 8-bit microcontroller
that comes with several underlying features that make it suitable for a wide
range of embedded applications. It is based on the 8-bit CPU, which
means that it can process 8-bit data at a time. It has a 16-bit address bus,
allowing it to address external program memory and 64 kB external data
memory up to 64 kB, even if the original 8051 includes 4 kB on-chip ROM
(read-only-memory) for program storage in the original 8051. It also has
128 bytes on-chip RAM (random access memory) for storage of
temporary data during program execution. One of the major benefits of
8051 is the presence of four parallel I/O port (port 0, port 1, port 2, and
port 3), each of which contains 8 pins, which provide a total of 32 I/O lines
to connect with external devices such as LEDs, switches, displays and
sensors. The 8051 microcontroller is also equipped with two 16-bit
timer/counters that are useful for producing accurate times, pulse-width
modulation (PWM), and event counting.
It has a full-reportic UART (Universal Asynchronous receiver and
transmitter) for serial communication, which enables microcontroller to
communicate with other microcontroller, computer, or serial devices. 8051
supports five blockage sources, including external and internal obstacles,
which helps to handle immediate tasks without voting. Another important
feature is its on-chip oscillator and clock circuitry, which can work with the
external crystal oscillator (usually 12 MHz) to run the internal clock of the
microcontroller. 8051 also supports bit-addressable memory, making it
easy to handle single-bit operations that are very useful in control
applications. These characteristics make 8051 a reliable and efficient
controller that is still widely used.
Applications Of 8051 Microcontroller-
Consumer appliances
Home applications
Communication systems
Aeronautical and Space
Robotics
Defence Systems
Radio and Networking Equipment
Remote Sensing
Medical Equipment
Industrial Process and Flow Control
Light sensing and controlling device
Temperature sensing and controlling devices
Fire detections and safety devices
Automobile applications

Architecture of 8051 Microcontroller

The 8051-microcontroller architecture is shown above. Let’s have a
closer look at the features of the 8051-microcontroller design:
CPU (Central Processor Unit):
As you may be familiar that the Central Processor Unit or CPU is the mind
of any processing machine. It scrutinizes and manages all processes that
are carried out in the Microcontroller. The user has no power over the
functioning of the CPU. It interprets the program printed in storage space
(ROM) and carries out all of them and does the projected duty. CPU
manages different types of registers in the 8051 microcontrollers.
Interrupts:
Interrupt is a subroutine call that reads the Microcontroller’s key function
or job and helps it to perform some other program which is extra important
then. The characteristic of 8051 Interrupt is extremely constructive as it
aids in emergency cases. Interrupts provide us a method to postpone or
delay the current process, carry out a sub-routine task and then all over
again restart standard program implementation.

The Micro-controller 8051 can be assembled in such a manner that it

momentarily stops or break the core program at the happening of the
interrupt. When the sub-routine task is finished then the implementation
of the core program initiates automatically as usual. There are 5 interrupt
supplies in the 8051 Microcontroller, two out of five are peripheral
interrupts, two are timer interrupts and one is serial port interrupt.
Memory:
The micro-controller needs a program that is a set of commands. This
program enlightens the Microcontroller to perform precise tasks. These
programs need a storage space on which they can be accumulated and
interpret by the Microcontroller to act upon any specific process. The
memory which is brought into play to accumulate the program of the
Microcontroller is recognized as Program memory or code memory. In
common language, it’s also known as Read-Only Memory or ROM.
The microcontroller also needs memory to a mass data or operands for
the short term. The storage space which is employed to momentarily data
storage for functioning is acknowledged as Data Memory and we employ
Random Access Memory or RAM for this principal reason. Microcontroller
8051 contains code memory or program memory 4K so which has 4KB
Rom and it also comprises data memory (RAM) of 128 bytes.
Bus:
Fundamentally Bus is a group of wires which function as a communication
canal or means for the transfer of Data. These buses comprise 8, 16, or
more cables. As a result, a bus can bear 8 bits, 16 bits altogether. There
are two types of buses:
Address Bus: Microcontroller 8051 consists of a 16-bit address bus. It is
brought into play to address memory positions. It is also utilized to transmit
the address from the Central Processing Unit to Memory.
Data Bus: Microcontroller 8051 comprise of 8 bits data bus. It is employed
to cart data.
Oscillator:
An on-chip oscillator that toils as a time source for the CPU (Central
Processing Unit). As the productivity thumps of the oscillator are steady
as a result, it facilitates harmonized employment of all pieces of the 8051
Microcontroller. Input/Output Port: As we are acquainted with that
Microcontroller is employed in embedded systems to manage the
functions of devices.
Thus, to gather it to other machinery, gadgets or peripherals we need I/O
(input/output) interfacing ports in Micro-controller. For this function Micro-
controller 8051 consists of 4 input/output ports to unite it to other
peripherals. Timers/Counters: Micro-controller 8051 is incorporated with
two 16-bit counters & timers. The counters are separated into 8-bit
registers. The timers are utilized for measuring the intervals, to find out
pulse width, etc.
Types of Interrupts:
The interrupts of the 8051 microcontrollers have the following sources
 TF0 (Timer 0 Overflow Interrupt)
 TF1 (Timer 1 Overflow Interrupt)
 INT0 (External Hardware Interrupt)
 INT1 (External Hardware Interrupt)
 RI/TI (Serial Communication Interrupt)
Memory:
The memories of the 8051-microcontroller architecture include a program
memory and data memory.
 The instructions of the CPU are stored in the Program Memory. It is
usually implemented as Read-Only Memory or ROM, where the
Program written into it will be retained even when the power is down
or the system is reset.
 Data Memory in a Microcontroller is responsible for storing values
of variables, temporary data, intermediate results, and other data for
the proper operation of the program.
Timer and Control Unit:
The main function of a timer is to make a delay otherwise time gap among
two events. This microcontroller includes two timers where each timer is
16-bit where the system can generate two delays concurrently to produce
the suitable delay. Generally, every microcontroller uses hardware delays
where a physical device can be used through the processor to generate
the particular delay which is called a timer.

The delay can be generated through the timer based on the requirement
of the processor & transmits the signal to the processor whenever the
particular delay gets generated.
By using this processor, we can also produce a delay based on the
requirement of the system. However, this will guide to remain the
processor active all the time because it will not perform any other task in
that specific period. As a result, the existence of a timer within the
microcontroller permits the processor to be free for performing other
operations.
The microcontroller also includes a program counter, data pointer, stack
& stack pointer, instruction registers including latches, temporary registers
& buffers for the I/O ports.
Registers:
Registers in microcontrollers are mainly used to store data and short-term
instructions which are mainly used to process addresses to fetch data.
This microcontroller includes 8-bit registers which have 8-bit start from D0
to D7. Here, D0 to D7 is LSB (least significant bit) and D7 is the most
significant bit (MSB).
To make the data process better than 8-bit, then it must be separated into
eight different bit parts. It includes several registers however general-
purpose type registers are frequently available to programmers. There are
classified into two types like General purpose & Special purpose. So, most
of the general-purpose registers are listed below.
 An accumulator is mainly used to execute arithmetic & logic
instructions.
 Registers like B, R0 toR7 are used for storing instruction addresses
& data.
 Data Pointers or DPTR is used to allow & process data in dissimilar
addressing modes. This register includes DPH (high byte) & a DPL
(low byte) which is mainly used to hold a 16-bit address. So, it can
be used as a base register within not direct jumps, lookup table
instructions & external data transfer.
 Program counter or PC is a 16-bit register used to store the next
instruction’s address to be performed
 These registers are 8-bits other than program counter & data pointer
registers.

Data Types:
This microcontroller includes simply one 8 bit data type where the size of
each register is 8-bit. If the data is better than 8-bit, then is the programmer
accountable to separate data into 8-bit parts before processing. For
assemblers, the most widely used data directive is the DB directive in
assembly language.
PSW Register:
The term PSW stands for Program status word and it is one kind of
register in the microcontroller. It is also called a flag register, used to
demonstrate the position of arithmetic logic instructions such as zero carry
bit, carry bit, etc. PSW or flag register is an 8-bit register where 6-bits are
used. This register includes 8-flags where these flags are known as
conditional flags. These flags will perform instruction simply if the
condition is satisfied.
These conditional flags are overflow, parity, auxiliary carry & carry. The
Program status word registers bit numbers like 3 & 4 are used to alter the
bank registers whereas 1 & 5 are not used but they can be used by the
programmer for executing a specific task.

Register Banks:
For stacks & register banks, Ram with 32 Bytes is used and these are
separated in four types of banks. So, every back includes 8-registers
which range from R0 to R7. Here, R0 & R7 denotes the locations of RAM
like zero location and seventh location. The second bank register begins
from location 8 & ends 05H. The third bank register begins from 10H &
completed at the 17H location. The final bank can be placed among the
18H-1FH.

Stack:
The part of RAM like Stack is mainly used through the processor for data
storage otherwise address momentarily. In a microprocessor, it is a very
significant part because there are extremely restricted numbers of
registers for storing addresses and data.
In the 8051 microcontrollers, the stack is 8-bit wide and it can hold data
from 00 – FFH. The stack pointer can be used through the CPU to allow
the stack. This microcontroller includes an 8-bit stack pointer that means
it can allow values from 00H to FFH. Once it is activated, then the stack
pointer includes the 07 value.

Organization of Memory:
The microcontroller has complex memory organization and it includes a
separate address bus that is used for program memory, external RAM &
data memory. It depends on Harvard architecture that is developed
through Harvard in the year 1944.

Addressing Modes:
Microprocessor gets data in different methods. Generally, the data stored
within memory, register & can be used from instant value. So, these
different methods for accessing data are known as addressing modes.
Different types of microcontrollers include different addressing modes
which depend on the plan of manufacturers. The addressing modes of this
microcontroller include the following.
 Register
 Register indirect
 Immediate
 Indexed
 Direct

Pin Diagram Of 8051-Microcontroller

Pins 1 to 8 − These pins are known as Port 1. This port doesn’t serve
any
other functions. It is internally pulled up, bi-directional I/O port.
Pin 9 − It is a RESET pin, which is used to reset the microcontroller to
its
initial values.
Pins 10 to 17 − These pins are known as Port 3. This port serves some
functions like interrupts, timer input, control signals, serial
communication
signals RxD and TxD, etc.
Pins 18 & 19 − These pins are used for interfacing an external crystal to
get
the system clock.
Pin 20 − This pin provides the power supply to the circuit.
Pins 21 to 28 − These pins are known as Port 2. It serves as I/O port.
Higher
order address bus signals are also multiplexed using this port.
Pin 29 − This is PSEN pin which stands for Program Store Enable. It is
used to read a signal from the external program memory.

Pin 30 − This is EA pin which stands for External Access input. It is

used to
enable/disable the external memory interfacing.
Pin 31 − This is ALE pin which stands for Address Latch Enable. It is
used
to demultiplex the address-data signal of port.
Pins 32 to 39 − These pins are known as Port 0. It serves as I/O port.
Lower
order address and data bus signals are multiplexed using this port.
Pin 40 − This pin is used to provide power supply to the circuit.
8051 microcontrollers have 4 I/O ports each of 8-bit, which can be
configured as input or output. Hence, total 32 input/output pins allow the
microcontroller to be connected with the peripheral devices.
Pin configuration, i.e. the pin can be configured as 1 for input and 0 for
output as per the logic state.
o Input/Output (I/O) pin − All the circuits within the microcontroller
must be connected to one of its pins except P0 port because it does
not have pull-up resistors built-in.
o Input pin − Logic 1 is applied to a bit of the P register. The output
FE transistor is turned off and the other pin remains connected to the
power supply voltage over a pull-up resistor of high resistance.
Port 0 − The P0 (zero) port is characterized by two functions −
o When the external memory is used then the lower address byte
(addresses A0A7) is applied on it, else all bits of this port are
configured as input/output.
o When P0 port is configured as an output then other ports consisting of
pins with built-in pull-up resistor connected by its end to 5V power
supply, the pins of this port have this resistor left out.

Conclusion
The 8051 microcontroller is one of the most successful and time-tested
microcontrollers in the field of embedded systems and automation. Since
its introduction by Intel in the 1980s, it has become a standard choice for
engineers, hobbyists, and students due to its simple architecture, ease of
programming, and flexibility in various applications. The 8051's
combination of an 8-bit CPU, built-in RAM and ROM, multiple I/O ports,
timers, serial communication interface, and interrupt control make it a
complete system on a single chip. It provides the fundamental features
required to control electronic devices and perform automation tasks
effectively. One of the major reasons for its popularity is its support for bit-
addressable memory and efficient instruction set, which makes it highly
suitable for control-based applications where manipulating individual bits
is often required.
The microcontroller is also known for its versatile interfacing capability. It
can easily interface with external memory, sensors, actuators, motors,
displays, and other peripheral devices without complex circuitry.
Moreover, its interrupt handling mechanism and timers allow it to perform
real-time operations, making it suitable for time-critical and event-driven
applications. Although many advanced microcontrollers with higher
speed, larger memory, and advanced peripherals are available today, the
8051 is still preferred in many industries and academic institutions
because of its simplicity, low cost, and availability of development tools.
Learning the 8051 microcontroller is often considered a foundation for
understanding modern microcontroller families like AVR, PIC, ARM, and
others. The knowledge of 8051 helps beginners to develop logical
thinking, programming skills, and understanding of embedded hardware
and software interaction. Overall, the 8051 microcontroller continues to be
an important and relevant component in the field of electronics, embedded
systems, and automation, offering reliable performance, ease of learning,
and widespread community support.