Zilog Z80
The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit CPU that played an important role in the evolution of microcomputer technology. Introduced in 1976, the Z80 was designed by Zilog Inc., an American semiconductor company founded by Federico Faggin and Ralph Ungermann. It quickly gained widespread popularity due to its performance, affordability, and compatibility, becoming a cornerstone in the development of early personal computers, embedded systems, and consumer electronics.
Historical context and development[edit | edit source]
The Zilog Z80 was created as an enhanced and more capable successor to the Intel 8080 microprocessor. Federico Faggin, who previously worked on the development of the Intel 4004 and 8080, brought his expertise to Zilog and led the design of the Z80. The goal was to build a microprocessor that offered improved performance, additional features, and backward compatibility with the Intel 8080, allowing existing software to run on the new chip.
Upon its release, the Z80 rapidly gained traction in the rapidly growing microcomputer market. Its compatibility with the CP/M operating system, a popular operating system for early personal computers, helped establish its dominance as a preferred microprocessor. The Z80's versatility and cost-effectiveness made it a go-to choice for various applications beyond personal computing, including gaming consoles, calculators, and embedded systems.
Technical specifications and features[edit | edit source]
The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor with a 16-bit address bus, allowing it to address up to 64 KB of memory. Some of its key technical features include:
- Instruction Set: The Z80 has a comprehensive instruction set for its time, expanding upon the Intel 8080's instructions with additional operations and addressing modes. It supports over 158 instructions, including block move, block input/output, and bit manipulation instructions.
- Registers: The Z80 features an extensive set of registers, including six 8-bit general-purpose registers, two 16-bit index registers, and dedicated registers for the stack pointer and program counter. It also includes a set of alternate registers for efficient context switching.
- Clock Speed: The original Z80 operated at a clock speed of 2.5 MHz, although subsequent versions saw clock speeds increase to 4 MHz, 6 MHz, and beyond.
- Interrupts: The Z80 introduced a more sophisticated interrupt handling system, including both maskable and non-maskable interrupts, which allowed for more responsive and reliable real-time processing.
Applications and legacy[edit | edit source]
The Z80's versatility and performance led to its adoption in a wide range of applications across various industries:
- Personal Computers: The Z80 was the heart of many early personal computers, including the TRS-80, ZX Spectrum, and MSX. Its compatibility with the CP/M operating system made it a popular choice for both business and home computing.
- The Commodore 128 included a Z80 processor, in addition to its MOS 8502, which enabled the system to run CP/M software, enhancing its versatility.
- Gaming Consoles: The Z80 found a home in several gaming consoles and arcade systems, including the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis (as a co-processor), and the Nintendo Game Boy.
- Embedded Systems: The Z80's reliability and efficiency made it a popular choice for embedded systems, from industrial controllers to telecommunications equipment.
- Calculators: The Z80 powered advanced scientific calculators, such as the Texas Instruments TI-84 series, providing powerful computational capabilities in a handheld device.
The Z80 is still to be found in embedded systems, as well as still being a popular CPU for hobbyists and retro computing enthusiasts and collectors. While its latest incarnation, the eZ80, was launched in 2001 and continues to be available for purchase, production of the original Z80 ceased in 2024.
Links[edit | edit source]
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Wikipedia: Zilog_Z80 |
