The Intel 8051 8-bit microcontroller, once a popular staple of the electronics industry, is now discontinued by Intel, but its simplified architecture lives on in the form of various modern clones.
8051-compatible boards are available to purchase, such as the single chip computer by mit41301, which includes a CH558 or CH559 microcontroller with more onboard features than the original.
The board speaks serial, so it can be used with either a USB-to-serial or Bluetooth-to-serial chip, and programming it should be straightforward as there is MCS-BASIC available for it.
The simplicity and continuity of the 8051 design means there is a soft spot for these microcontrollers for many engineers, even though more sophisticated CPUs are available and often the first choice for more complex applications.
There are also other modern 8051 clones like the Arduino Uno, which is an Arduino clone.
