This device has a host interface using what is called a SPI bus. You have two basic choices regarding how to connect this device to an 8051 type processor.

Option 1. Port Bit Controls
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With this option you would connect the SPI interface control lines direcly to any available port pins. Software would then be written to manipulate the high and low levels on these port pins in order to implement the communications interface to the touch screen controller. This solution would work with almost any 8051 derivative type part.

Option 2. SPI Controller Interface
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Some of the 8051 derivative types have an onboard serial interface that supports the SPI bus interface in hardware. In these processors the software would implement a driver at the byte level to send and receive the touch screen controller information via the hardware based SPI controller. Processors that have SPI interfaces include the Analog devices ADuC8xx series parts, Atmel AT89LS8252 AT89S53 + others, over half the offerings from Cygnal, Philips P87C51MB2 P87C51MC2, and the Triscend offerings.

Note: The technigues of interfacing to the part via the Option 1 method will be very similar to the means by which the common serial EEPROM called the 93C46 is often connected to the 8051. There are App notes at the Maxim website that contain 8051/8052 connection diagrams for connection to the likes of SPI type serial EEPROMS, RTC chips and so forth. These App notes also often contain sample program code to follow.

Michael Karas