The DS89C420 offers the highest performance available in 8051-compatible microcontrollers. It features a redesigned processor core that executes every 8051 instruction up to 12 times faster than the original for the same crystal speed, thus allowing very significant improvements using the same code and crystal. The DS89C420 offers a maximum crystal speed of 33MHz, achieving execution rates up to 33 million instructions per second (MIPS).