Module-based Edukit for teaching and learning 8051 microcontroller programming

A microcontroller unit (MCU) is the critical part of an embedded system. The knowledge of MCU is essential for every field of science and technology which in turn directs that a strong curriculum based on MCUs at various levels of education is necessary for universities, colleges, and schools. For learning Atmel MCU programming, various trainer board models are available in the local market. But these currently available trainer board components are assembled on a large single printed circuit board (PCB) which is expensive, consumes high power and inconvenient for portable applications. Moreover, it is not possible to integrate new components in these trainer boards. This paper presents a module-based Edukit to overcome those problems. Miniaturization is the main contribution of Edukit. an ice-cream size box contains the whole Edukit which proves that the Edukit is simple, portable, low cost, consuming less power. Moreover, the Edukit is module based which in turn makes it a low-cost and suitable educational tool for any disciplines of science and engineering.