Getting Started with Microcontrollers: Can We Still Start with the 51 Series?

Can we still start with the 51 series microcontroller? Given that ARM and RISC cores are so cheap and the resources are plentiful, is it unnecessary to learn the 51 microcontroller? Of course, it is still possible.

Now, let me briefly share my views.

Although ARM and RISC cores are getting cheaper, the hardware costs have significantly decreased, and there are many supporting materials available, making it seem like it can be quickly picked up. However, for beginners, they often face challenges such as:

1. Setting up the development environment;
2. Code containing Chinese punctuation, such as “；”;
3. When programming the microcontroller, various drivers are not installed correctly, leading to the programmer or serial port being unrecognized, leaving them confused (´･_･`);
4. Encountering hardware or software issues can leave them feeling at a loss.

This is the experience of most students I have communicated with, including my own learning journey, where I also faced various silly questions. After solving them, I realized how foolish I truly was.

First, let’s talk about the 51 microcontroller

The architecture is not as complex as ARM and RISC, especially the IO is bidirectional output. Although the functionality is simple, unlike ARM’s GPIO, which first requires clock configuration, then mode configuration, input/output, pull-up and pull-down. A lot of configurations increase the probability of errors for beginners.

For simply turning on a light, the 51 microcontroller only requires a few files and a few lines of code, so its advantage is simplicity and low difficulty in getting started.

In contrast, for ARM architecture, taking STM32 as an example, there are register development, standard libraries, HAL libraries, and LL libraries, each with different development approaches.

1. Using register development, there are quite a few registers, and many need to be configured to achieve functionality, which is not very friendly for beginners.

2. Using library function development, such as standard library, HAL library, and LL library, involves a large number of C files in a project template, along with many macro definitions and encapsulated structures, which require a certain foundation in C language. If this foundation is not solid, one might struggle to understand how to call the libraries, feeling lost. In that case, go back and learn C language properly.

Therefore, starting with the 51 microcontroller is quite good. Although it may be somewhat out of touch with the current mainstream market, it is still excellent for teaching and introductory purposes. Just like back in the day, the microcomputer principles were taught using the 8086 as the platform, which is also a very old hardware platform.

In conclusion

For beginners, it is still essential to get the project running first, establish positive feedback, and cultivate interest, as this will motivate further learning.

Otherwise, if one starts with high intensity, it is inevitable to lose confidence. That is my view.