Empowering Educators, Students, and Innovators
The WDC 65xx family of microprocessors, system boards, and intellectual property (IP) provides a true hands-on computing experience, allowing students and engineers to go beyond modern consumer devices like smartphones, tablets, Raspberry Pi, and Arduino. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or professor, introducing students to low-level computing and embedded systems with WDC 65xx builds critical thinking, problem-solving, and engineering skills that last a lifetime.
Why Choose WDC 65xx Over Raspberry Pi or Arduino?
| Feature | WDC 65xx | Raspberry Pi | Arduino |
|---|---|---|---|
| Openness & Transparency | Fully documented instruction set, memory architecture, and CPU behavior | Uses proprietary Broadcom SoC with closed-source firmware | Varies by board; some chips (e.g., Arduino Uno R4) are proprietary |
| Hands-on Microprocessor Experience | Teaches direct memory-mapped I/O, low-level assembly, and real-time control | Abstracted through Linux OS; limited direct hardware control | Focused on simplified microcontroller use with libraries |
| Long-Term Stability | Architecture supported for 40+ years, backwards compatible | Frequent model changes, supply chain instability | Chip selection varies across vendors, no long-term consistency |
| Industry & Educational Relevance | Used in embedded systems, aerospace, IoT, and computing fundamentals | More suited for Linux-based projects, not direct microprocessor learning | Great for rapid prototyping but lacks deep computer architecture learning |
| Supply Chain & Availability | Consistently available, long-term supply commitment | Often faces shortages and price spikes | Availability depends on microcontroller vendor |
What Students Gain from Learning WDC 65xx
- True Microprocessor Learning – Unlike modern systems that abstract hardware, WDC 65xx enables students to work directly with registers, memory, and CPU operations.
- Embedded Systems & Robotics – Learn how microprocessors interact with sensors, actuators, displays, and I/O devices, a crucial skill for engineering and IoT careers.
- Assembly Language & Low-Level Programming – Gain foundational coding skills applicable to operating systems, game programming, and embedded development.
- Long-Term Skill Building – The 6502 architecture is still used in modern embedded applications, making these skills relevant beyond retro computing.
- Cost-Effective & Accessible – Unlike platforms subject to supply chain disruptions, WDC 65xx is stable, affordable, and openly documented.
Ideal for All Levels of Education
Whether you’re teaching elementary coding concepts, high school robotics, college-level microprocessor courses, or professional engineering, WDC 65xx offers a scalable learning experience:
- Elementary & Middle School: Basic logic circuits, blinking LEDs, learning about binary numbers.
- High School & College: Writing assembly programs, interfacing with hardware, designing simple computers.
- Advanced Engineering & Research: Exploring embedded system design, FPGA implementations, and custom ASIC development.
Get Started with WDC 65xx Today!
Explore our W65C02SXB and W65C816SXB system boards with W65C02EDU and W65C816EDU add on, and extensive documentation to bring real computing education into your classroom or lab!
