I will not say that the 8051 is dead! I'm working with those still today.

But In-circuit-emulators for 8051 are (almost) dead. I have worked with them many years a decade ago. In most cases today the Jtag (or similar) interface is used. However, the market of 8051 hardware debugger is shrinking, compared with ARM for example.

Realize that most modern packages today are not DIL40.

Have a look at those small chips and/or low pin count versions, like XC864 (and many others) that do not have a P0/P2, that only can be accessed via a Jtag-interface. And then look at that old DIL40 picture on that web side.

The information on that web side seems to me as rather outdated in-circuit-emulator technique.

Let's have a look on some statements there:


>> User's chip directly acts as target chip

This is standard for all target chips that use external code/xdata memory.

>> No need to design so many adapters. Different devices in the same pin arrangement and package share one adapter;

Please read that part again: "in the same pin arrangement and package". Clear, isn't it?

>> It gets rid of such weak points as having to change the definition and being unable to
totally cover the resources by compatibility mode

What does that mean?

>> Support more 10 times chips than other emluators.

I know at least one other Emulator that also supports more than 500 derivatives, this was in the year 1995.

>> Not occupy any resources

This a what an in-circuit-emlator must always do, not occupy resources!

>> Supports 12T/6T/4T devices

No problem.

>> Speed up to 40MHz when accessing external memory without connecting P0 to external pull-up resistors

40 MHz is no problem, I know also an incircuit emulator with up to 70 MHz in 1998.

>> support dual banks

Does this mean code banking? There are incircuit emulators with emulation memory for 4 to 16 code banks with 64k each, and support of 128 banks 64k in total (using external memory). But who want's code banking?

Please note: This is my personal opinion about this. If it's exactly what YOU need in YOUR project, why not?