Zilog, Inc. is an American manufacturer of microprocessors and 8-bit and 16-bit microcontrollers. It is also a supplier of application-specific embedded system-on-chip (SoC) products.
Zilog's iconic 8-bit processor, the Z80. Pictured is one of the first Z80s ever made.
A May 1976 advertisement for the Zilog Z-80 8-bit microprocessor
The Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog as the startup company's first product. The Z80 was conceived by Federico Faggin in late 1974 and developed by him and his 11 employees starting in early 1975, before going on sale in July 1976. The processor is a software-compatible with the Intel 8080 but with several enhancements and at a lower price. Like the 8080, the Z80 was mainly aimed at embedded systems, but it became one of the most widely used CPUs in home computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Zilog Z80 was also common in military applications, musical equipment, and coin-operated arcade games of the era, including Pac-Man.
A Z80 manufactured in June 1976 according to the date stamp
A May 1976 advertisement for the Z80 outlines its major advantages over the 8080.
Photo of the original Zilog Z80 microprocessor design in depletion-load nMOS. Total die size is 3545×3350 μm. The blue squares around the outside are the pads that connect to the external pins. This chip was manufactured in 1990.
PIO Z84C2008
