An effect of browsing HN on a phone at 6AM while packing for a trip, I'm afraid. Using the 6502 (though I know nothing operational about either processor) is a great idea; I'm sure there are some good systems programming texts kicking around from those days that target that family, and would make a nice introduction to development on a simple 8-bit design. Are the 6502s still used in microcontroller applications?
I doubt that 6502s are still actively used. There are many better microprocessors available today (the last one I used was under twenty cents in quantity, with a clock rate 10X that of the 6502s back-when).
