Customer Reviews

C and the 8051, Vol.I: Hardware, Modular Programming & Multitasking (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Is perfect 8051 text and/or reference for coming from another processor, for going embedded, and for either the novice or expert C programmer (embedded or not). Covers both ANSI C and Assembly for the 8051, using Keil's Assembler and Compiler (which is what Franklin sold as their own for many years). Includes a Demo Keil full set of tools on CD (limited to amount of code, but still creates the HEX files). And, anything learned from the book or CD directly transports to the full Keil tools in the workplace (which are most likely the most prevalent 8051 software tools in use). GET THE LATEST EDITION (2nd or later), unless you are into FORTH or PLM! Cover's multi-tasking and efficient approaches for 8-bit micro programming, as well as some straight-forward hardware interfacing examples.

I found this book to be very informative, written well, and quite good at explaining the concepts. But you should take my background into consideration. I have a 4 year degree in computer science, am very familiar with system architecture and operating systems concepts, and have several years of C programming experience.

I would strongly reccomend this book to any software engineers looking to experiment in electronics/microcontrollers. However, don't expect to learn C from this book, or to learn the ins and outs of 8051 assembler. It merely provides a good, broad foundation for most of the things you would want to do with one of these things.

This book is perfect if you have two things: (1)a very basic background in ANSI c, (2)a intermediate bacground in 8051 assembly.

This book is NOT a beginner step by step book in which a reader could learn the 8051 and c with this single book. I had a firm handle on writing assembly and c code for the 8051. Unfortunatly I was pretty unclear how one could have much memory control using C. Shultz's book answered it all for me including how one would control and interrupt vector table with C.

Shultz obviously knows what he is doing and leaves some information to the reader to figure out. The book is rather expensive for the sheer amount of information that could be obtained. If this were handled better, this book would have recieved a 5-star.

I'll certainly recommend this book to anyone looking to fill in the gaps of mixing 8051 with the C language.

I have read the reviews of those above me and have to ask... did they even read and *use* the listed material? Most everything of importance is in the footnotes which cover nearly 40% of the book. This is the second edition of his book, and still, he cannot get even FOR loop writen in asembly written correctly. Secondly, the Computer Engineering department of the University of Missouri - Rolla, has decided on a whole, the book is worthless. Too much time is spent correcting his errors as opposed to learning the material. What Shultz does do well is the methodology. It really is a shame he has no plans at all to go back and fix the errors in the book.

This book is extremely difficult to follow, nearly 30% of the content of the book is held in footnotes, making the text nearly impossible to comprehend. Most of the book is written in first person, and makes many dangerous assumptions about the background of the reader. None of the assumptions are listed and it is up to the reader to decifer them. This book is little more than a collection of class notes from a professor and would only be of value to someone actually taking the class. I am very sorry I wasted my money on this book.