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STC89C52 DIY learning board kit [message #10555]

Wed, 27 December 2023 11:37

lynchaj
Messages: 1080
Registered: June 2016

Senior Member

Hi

I've seen these cheap STC89C52 boards populating AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, etc. and wonder where they came from.

Every one I've seen appear to be copies of some original parts kit originally named "DIY learning board kit suit the parts" although I've not been able to find a legible schematic or manual.

Here is an example but there are dozens just like it at many internet shopping sites:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832093453719.html

For the less than $10, you get an amazing amount of stuff. It is practically worth getting just for the parts alone. The 40 pin ZIF socket alone is not cheap and very useful.

Does anyone know the history on these boards? I am guessing they come from TSMC at some point who has since dropped support for them since they've been rampantly cloned.

I would love to get a decent schematic and/or manual if one exists. I've got one just to play with it and experiment with the STC89C52 for fun.

It looks like you can use multiple IDEs but for Free/Open Source (Linux) there is SDCC for writing the programs and stcgal for programming the STC89C52 using the ISP port.

Yeah, it's cheap and practically disposable but for less than $10, it is worth it just to satisfy my curiosity. Does anyone have any background information on them?

Thanks in advance, Andrew Lynch

PS, looks a little like this one on hackaday but not quite. Maybe an almost clone?

https://hackaday.io/project/170540-adventures-with-a-stc89c5 2-development-board

[Updated on: Wed, 27 December 2023 11:50]

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Re: STC89C52 DIY learning board kit [message #10556 is a reply to message #10555]

Fri, 29 December 2023 11:04

lynchaj
Messages: 1080
Registered: June 2016

Senior Member

Hi
Using Google Image search, I was able to find a couple improved quality schematic images. Still no manual but at least I can read the schematic clearly now.

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Re: STC89C52 DIY learning board kit [message #10574 is a reply to message #10556]

Tue, 16 January 2024 03:44

lynchaj
Messages: 1080
Registered: June 2016

Senior Member

Hi
I bought one of these STC89C52 board kits and built it. It seems to work fine although I've been discovering the world of 8051 clones in-circuit programming is rather complicated. For the STC chips, you can use a USB to serial cable for In System Programming (ISP) with the Boot Strap Loader (BSL). I am using stcgal to erase and program but not read or verify programs into the STC89C52. I find that rather strange but STC claims it is a feature to keep programs secure.

For the Atmel parts, they use an ISP device and the Arduino IDE to program. I haven't started experimenting with them yet though.

Using the STC89C52, I was able to get some simple programs working like a LED blinker and that was fun. Also installed PAULMON2 and it worked fine. Although when I tried installing the extended version, I managed to corrupt one of the STC89C52 parts. Fortunately, I bought several anticipating this possibility.

If anyone knows how to do a factory reset on a STC89C52 please let me know.

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Re: STC89C52 DIY learning board kit [message #10576 is a reply to message #10574]

Sun, 28 January 2024 05:45

lynchaj
Messages: 1080
Registered: June 2016

Senior Member

Hi
Well, a breakthrough of sorts. The STC89C52RC chip I corrupted and could not reprogram with stcgal, I found another program that I could use to reprogram it with a LED blinker program and regain control. I don't think my original corrupted program wrecked the BSL or the EEPROM but it did totally screw up the Flash and put in an insane program that kept taking control and blocking anything useful with the chip. By using the new programmer software (only on Windows, sorry) I was able to reprogram with the LED blinker and then regain control of the chip.

Once that was working nicely, I could use stcgal to get chip status and then "stcgal -e" to erase the chip to either factory default or something close. So a good news story and I have recovered my STC89C52RC chip for more experimentation.

The program can be found here:

https://ceptimus.co.uk/index.php/2015/12/15/isp-programmer-f or-the-stc89c51-and-stc89c52/

Thanks, Andrew Lynch

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