Back Zilog Z80 AN زلوغ زد 80 Arabic Zilog Z80 Azerbaijani Zilog Z80 Byelorussian Zilog Z80 Catalan Z80 Czech Z80 Danish Zilog Z80 German Zilog Z80 Greek Zilog Z80 Spanish
 A Z80 manufactured in June 1976 according to the date stamp | |
| General information | |
|---|---|
| Launched | July 1976 |
| Discontinued | June 2024 |
| Marketed by | Zilog |
| Designed by | Federico Faggin, Masatoshi Shima |
| Common manufacturer | |
| Performance | |
| Max. CPU clock rate | 2.5 MHz to 8 MHz[b] |
| Data width | 8 bits[1] |
| Address width | 16 bits[1] |
| Architecture and classification | |
| Application | Embedded, desktop, handheld |
| Technology node | 4 μm process |
| Instruction set | Z80[c] |
| Physical specifications | |
| Transistors |
|
| Packages | |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Intel 8080 |
| Successors | |
The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog that played an important role in the evolution of early computing. Launched in 1976, it was designed to be software-compatible with the Intel 8080, offering a compelling alternative due to its better integration and increased performance. In addition to the 8080's seven registers and flags register, the Z80 featured an alternate register set, two 16-bit index registers, and additional instructions, including bit manipulation and block copy/search.
Originally intended for use in embedded systems like the 8080, the Z80’s combination of compatibility, affordability, and superior performance led to widespread adoption in video game systems and home computers throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, helping to fuel the personal computing revolution. The Z80 was used in iconic products such as the Osborne 1, Radio Shack TRS-80, ColecoVision, ZX Spectrum, Sega's Master System and the Pac-Man arcade cabinet. It continued to be utilized in portable devices, including the Game Gear and the TI-83 series of graphing calculators.[2][3]
The Z80 was the brainchild of Federico Faggin, a key figure behind the creation of the Intel 8080. After leaving Intel in 1974, Faggin co-founded Zilog with Ralph Ungermann. The Z80 was released in July 1976. With the revenue from the Z80, the company built its own chip factories.[4] Zilog licensed the Z80 to the US-based Synertek and Mostek, which assisted with initial production, as well as to a European second-source manufacturer SGS. The design was also copied by various Japanese, Eastern European, and Soviet manufacturers,[d] gaining global market acceptance as major companies like NEC, Toshiba, Sharp, and Hitachi produced their own versions or compatible clones of the Z80.
The Z80 remained in use in embedded systems for decades after its introduction, with ongoing improvements. The latest iteration, the eZ80, was introduced in 2001 and continues to be available for purchase. Zilog announced the discontinuation of the Z80 in April 2024 and officially ceased production in June 2024, after nearly five decades.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Zilog 2005was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Chip Hall of Fame: Zilog Z80 Microprocessor - IEEE Spectrum". spectrum.ieee.org. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Edwards, Benj (April 22, 2024). "After 48 years, Zilog is killing the classic standalone Z80 microprocessor chip". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Faggin, Shima & Ungermann 2007.