Stefan,

while I haven't met the 'V'RB2, I have some experience with the 'V'RD2, see my website.

I have said it here and elsewhere many times, that P89V51RD2 is in fact a genuine SST part, or, in fact, two: the older were SST89E564RD, the newer are SST89E516RD. Although Philips/NXP never admitted it publicly, the SST datasheets work well with these chips. Resort there for the real mailbox-register description, which allows you to reprogram Block 1, running an application from Block 0 (above 1FFFh, of course).

But first, get the V7 upgrade of bootloader from FlashMagic site (it's not on NXP site, surprise, surprise). It does exactly what I recommended to you - after having programmed the upgrader into Block 0 it runs and reprograms Block 1 (i.e. the bootloader). And, as it might help to get rid of the unwanted bootloader entry problem, you might be satisfied with this alone.

Please feel free to ask further.

Of course, NXP is free to redesign the chip and get it manufactured elsewhere as long as they keep what is written in datasheet, in which case these bootloaders etc. will cease to work; but I doubt this will ever happen.

<rant and politics> Together with the sloppy datasheet (the SST original is sloppy enough and NXP tried to castrate it further) this "better we tell you nothing" approach from NXP generally leaves a very bad taste in mouth for anybody trying to really use these chips, which themselves are quite fine and I like them.

The 8051 dies out, and NXP has its deal in it. </rant and politics>

JW