8051 language files trivia

[gtackett]

• Archimedes 8051-IDE was an early IDE (available prior to perhaps June 2001) with integrated C51 compiler that supported many of the then-existing chips derived from Intel's MCS-251 architecture for the original Intel 8051. According to my information, Archimedes was later acquired by Keil, now part of ARM Keil, apparently re-badging the Archimedes compiler. Because the calling convention documented in Keil's documentation for its later Cx51 compilers differs significantly from that implemented in Ghidra for the "Archimedes" compiler, I suspect that after its acquisition of Archimedes, Keil later reengineered the compiler.
• mx51 in Ghidra's language files refers to some compiler (I'm guessing Keil's) targeting the NXP/Philips Semiconductor derivative of the 8051, featuring a 24-bit memory address space and faster instruction execution. I suspect this Ghidra language may not be entirely well suited for other 8051 variants having a smaller address space.

[PennRobotics]

For any curious minds: PSoC 3 (by Cypress, now Infineon, chips starting with CY8C3) might use the same memory layout as mx51.