You can do whatever you want ... but there is always a price to pay.

For about $2, you can buy an up-to-date MCU that allows you to program it serially. That's true of 805x's and it's true of others, e.g. ARM, PIC, etc. However, it's a LONG reach from starting to program a microcontroller to getting anything useful done in a robotic context.

There are IBM-PC-compatibles that fit on very small boards and are routinely used to operate robotic systems. They don't just cost a few bucks, but perhaps that's what you really want to consider.

I'd recommend that you find the original datasheet for the part you've mentioned and find out what it really is. Then, I'd recommend you look at the datasheets for the more modern versions. Most of them will do EXACTLY what the old, no-longer-manufactured version you've mentioned will do, and, in many cases, much more.

Yes, we built robotic systems at one time with those old parts, but there's a reason we don't do it any longer. It can be done, of course, just as the old payroll software on an old Apple-][ will still do what it always did. You might find it a bit easier to do something else, though.

RE