Zilog Z80the iconic 8-bit processor developed by Federico Faggin and Masatoshi Shima, exit the market soon: There are only a few months left to place orders before Zilog’s manufacturing partner finally pulls the plug.
According to a Zilog note reported on in mid-June. Zilog will manage LTB orders for the Z80 based on customer demand, then WFM will set the actual delivery dates. The note states that, depending on overall demand, the company may impose stricter requirements on minimum and maximum quantities.
The Z80 is the brainchild of Federico Faggin, an Intel engineer who founded Zilog in 1974 after working on the Intel 4004, the first 4-bit CPU. Faggin left Intel, which at the time was too focused on the memory sector, seeing a bright future for microprocessors.
The Zilog Z80 debuted in July 1976. The Z80 instruction set was written to be compatible with the Intel 8080 but in the end the chip turned out to be more complete, versatile and above all less expensive.
The success of the Z80 allowed Zilog to expand, open manufacturing facilities and grow rapidly. The Zilog Z80 was used in several iconic gaming consoles – in various forms – such as Master System by SEGA, the Game Boy/Color by Nintendo, the ColecoVision and the ZX Spectrum, although perhaps many remember it more for its use in cabinet of the original Pac-Man and in other coin-ops.
Zilog has licensed the Z80 technology to US companies Synertek and Mostek, as well as STMicroelectronics. The CPU design was later replicated by Japanese, Eastern European and Soviet manufacturers, while companies such as NEC, Toshiba, Sharp and Hitachi produced their own compatible versions.
After its success in the gaming world, the Zilog Z80 became an excellent one microcontroller for embedded systemsand this is the area that has allowed the chip to have a truly enviable longevity.
Tags: Goodbye Zilog Z80 Federico Faggins iconic processor ready exit market years
