The stock software must still be used for setting the MCU options. We’re not really familiar with the 8051 family but we’d bet that is akin to setting the fuses on the AVR chips.

The company pointed out that hacking via a programming or debug interface is often possible over a web connection. “The programming and debug pins on any MCU are also shared with other functions of ...

When engineers think about a project, they often start with block diagrams and flow charts. So, why not let them continue to connect functional hardware and software functions at that level. That's ...

To program the 16F917 microcontroller chip, you will need either a PICkit 2 Microcontroller Programmer ($50) or an MPLAB ICD 2 In-Circuit Debugger Programmer ($160). It took a lot of work and caused ...

The CP2102 packs an on-chip 48-MHz clock and 1 kbyte of EEPROM for a high-performance, single-chip USB-to-UART bridge. The EEPROM includes a security lock function. The UART ...

Although the analog and MCU chip industries are quite fragmented, it would be difficult for any new entrant to achieve this level of quality while still satisfying high-volume production.