The thing is, "ARM" is not just one core; there's ARM9, ARM7 and, now, the various Cortex flavours - and they span a very wide spectrum indeed!


I disagree!

There are "orders of magnitude" here (for want of a better term): Tasks in the "order of magnitude" of an ARM9 are not going to be easily handled by an MCU of the "order of magnitude" of an 8052 or Cortex-M0.

It can also go the other way: Tasks in the "order of magnitude" of an 8052 may actually be more difficult to do on an MCU of the "order of magnitude" of an ARM9!

(Yes, of course the 8052 has specific features which may be of particular advantage within its own "order of magnitude")


My point is that simply talking of "ARMs" is a very sweeping generalisation - the expertise at this forum is, I think, more concentrated at the Cortex-M3/0 and lower ARM7 end of the spectrum...?
(and the "low-level" aspects of bigger applications).