THE TRANSITION FROM THE 8085 TO THE "MODERN" WORLD

Teaching the Introduction to Microprocessors course at Middlesex County College using a pedagogically relevant but technically obsolete Intel 8085 is a dilemma.The modern 8 bit Micro Control Unit is far more complicated and more sophisticated than the 8085.The goal was to reduce a modern microprocessor to the level of the Intel 8085 for the purpose of introducing students with no prior background to programming and interfacing at the microprocessor, or micro control unit, level.The choice of processors and demonstration boards makes the process even more daunting.The field has gone from one choice (Intel 8085) to thousands (Intel, Atmel, Motorola, MicroChip, and others).Which is the right choice?This paper describes the tack taken by Middlesex County College, using a MicroChip PIC16, 8 bit MCU, for the Introduction to Microprocessors, and the use of a plain, solderless breadboard instead of an available demonstration board.