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. Along with the 8080's seven registers and flags register, the Z80 introduced 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. In the early 1990s, it was used 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, he co-founded Zilog with Ralph Ungermann. The Z80 debuted in July 1976, and its success allowed Zilog to establish its own chip factories.[4] For initial production, Zilog licensed the Z80 to U.S.-based Synertek and Mostek, along with 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.
Long after more advanced processors were introduced, the Z80 continued to be used in embedded systems, remaining in production until June 2024, nearly five decades after it began. Zilog also continued to enhance the basic design of the Z80 with several successors, including the Z180, Z280, and Z380, with the latest iteration, the eZ80, introduced in 2001 and available for purchase as of 2025[update].[5]
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.
- ^ Edwards, Benj (April 22, 2024). "After 48 years, Zilog is killing the classic standalone Z80 microprocessor chip". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.