Implementation and Simulation of a Multiprocessor
System Using 8051 Microcontroller for Industrial
Applications
Toka Abdulhameed Fathi
1
, Hiba Nabeel Yahya
2
, Qutaiba A. Hasan
3
{ toka.fathi@uoninevah.edu.iq, heba.yahya@uoninevah.edu.iq}
Computer & Information Engineering, Dept.Ninava University, Mosul, Iraq
1,2
Tikrit University / Petroleum and Minerals Eng. College
3
Abstract. The paper aims to implement and simulate a prototype of industrial
multiprocessor communication systems through serial communication RS-232 protocol
using an 8051 microcontroller. The created model is used for experimental purposes by
the microcomputer trainer (MTS-51). Many simulators are present for the 8051
microcontrollers, many of them do not support multi microcontroller communication, or
simulate all the embedded peripherals. A few of them can simulate external peripherals.
The proposed simulation has been accomplished using the PROTEUS program. In this
work, the RS-232 serial mode of communication using an 8051 microcontroller is used,
with an emphasis on interfacing it with an LCD screen and a hex keypad, stepper motor,
speaker and a seven-segment display. The operation of several microcontrollers in the
master-slave configuration is explained. It is verified that both the stepper motor and
speaker is controlled at each slave using the master controller. The used communication
protocol is a very simplified one, highlighting how simple such communications are
accomplished in high-tech industrial environments. Moreover, perfecting the use of the
RS-232 for transferring small blocks of information has resulted in simple use and support
of the maximum number of communicating processors.
Keywords: multiprocessor communication, 8051 microcontroller, RS-232 protocol,
electronic peripherals.
1 Introduction
A typical microcontroller includes a central processing unit (CPU), input/output (I/O), and a
random access memory (RAM) interfaced in one package. On-chip analogue-to-digital
converters (ADC), timers, and low power consumption may also be included. These features
make the microcontrollers flexible enough to be used in an extensive variety of applications.
The integration of many components in a small piece makes the microcontroller easier to use
than a general processor and require less wiring and connections while doing the same
function[1].
RS-422, RS-485 and RS-232 can accomplish serial communication. Among these protocols, RS-
232 is used in this paper due to its simplicity and the maximum number of communicating
processors that can be supported. |A central control system and sensor systems send updates to
the product data terminals that might use this feature [2].
LCDs and keypads are generally used to interface microcontrollers to the external world. Low
cost and simplicity of use make the 8-bit microcontroller to be widely used more than 16-bit or
32-bit microcontrollers [3].
It is known that current industrial environments use multiprocessor communications as an
integral part. There are many associated pieces of research on this topic, some of which are listed
below:
IMDC-SDSP 2020, June 28-30, Cyberspace
Copyright © 2020 EAI
DOI 10.4108/eai.28-6-2020.2298126