sdcc ☆

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Description:
ANSI C compiler for Intel 8051, Maxim 80DS390, and Zilog Z80

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: compiler embedded c microcontroller cross-compile sdcc

Install: brew install sdcc

About:
SDCC is a retargettable, optimizing ANSI C compiler that targets various microcontrollers including the Intel 8051, Maxim 80DS390, and Zilog Z80 architectures. It provides a complete toolchain including assembler, linker, and debugger support for embedded development. The compiler is widely used for its ability to generate efficient code for resource-constrained 8-bit and 16-bit microcontroller systems.

Key Features:

Supports multiple microcontroller architectures (8051, Z80, HC08, PIC16, PIC18)
Optimizing C compiler with macro-assembler and linker
Open source with active community development
Includes simulator and debugger tools
Standard C library implementation for embedded targets

Use Cases:

Developing firmware for 8051-based microcontroller systems
Creating applications for Z80-based retro computing and embedded devices
Cross-compiling C code for resource-constrained embedded systems
Educational purposes for learning embedded systems programming

Alternatives:

Keil C51 – Commercial compiler for 8051, more expensive but with IDE integration
IAR Embedded Workbench – Professional commercial suite supporting multiple architectures, expensive
GCC (avr-gcc) – GNU compiler for AVR microcontrollers, different architecture focus

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 11, 2025 1:37am		0	VERSION_BUMP	a28bc9ef
Sep 28, 2024 10:52pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	cc21d40c