ZiLOG

ZiLOG Inc., often spelled Zilog, is a manufacturer of microprocessors, its best known product being the 8-bit Zilog Z80. Zilog was founded in California in 1974 by Federico Faggin and Ralph Ungermann, who had worked at Intel as chief designer of the Intel 4004 and later the Intel 8080 microprocessor. Masatoshi Shima, who also worked with Faggin on the 4004 and 8080, joined to Zilog in 1975. Ungermann had a falling out with Faggin and left Zilog in 1978. The company became a subsidiary of Exxon in 1980, but was bought out by management and employees in 1989, headed by Dr. Edgar Sack.

The iconic 8-bit Zilog processor, the Z80. The photo shows one of the first Z80 manufactured.

In 1976 the company created the Zilog Z80. The Z-80 or Z80 is a microprocessor built on NMOS technology, and is based on the Intel 8080. It is basically an extension of it, with which it supports all its instructions. With this new product, Faggin toured the world looking for potential clients.

May 1976 Advert Zilog Z-80 microprocessor 8-bit

A year later, the first computer to use the Z80 was released, the Tandy TRS-80 Model 1 with a 1.77 MHz Z80 and 4 KB of RAM. It ends up displacing the 8080 in the market due to its lower price and better features. The computer market ends up practically divided between the Z80 and the MOS 6502. Several game consoles such as the Coleco, Sega Master System or Sega Game Gear use it as the main CPU, and the Game Boy integrates it as a modified core. Once in the 16-bit era it is used as a secondary processor by the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis or the Neo Geo Pocket. Used in various IBM PC expansion smart cards (such as SCSI controllers)

After the Z80 Zilog introduces various 16-bit and 32-bit processors, but without much success, so the company turns to the microcontroller market, producing entry-level CPUs and Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs/ASSPs) built around it. of the core of their processors. In addition to processors, Zilog has manufactured numerous electronic components. One of the most famous is the Zilog Z8530 serial communications controller that can be found in Sun SPARCstations and SPARCservers up to the SPARCstation 20.

The company becomes a subsidiary of Exxon in 1980, but is bought back by management and employees in 1989. An IPO is held in 1991 (Zilog is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol ZILG). In 1995 they created the V-Chip that allows parental control functions on American televisions. It is acquired by Texas Pacific Group in 1998, which, after the collapse of chip market prices, reorganizes the company after declaring bankruptcy in 2001. That same year Zilog launches the eZ80, a processor oriented to the telecommunications market, used by the Spanish company Data Voice in its range of autodialers. It is also one of the market leaders in infrared controllers (included in remote controls).

ZiLOG Product List

Families of Microprocessors

Zilog Z80 A.

• Zilog Z80 (1976)
• Zilog Z8000 (ca 1978)
• Zilog Z8 (1979)
• Zilog Z800 (1985)
• Zilog Z80000 (finals 1985)
• Zilog Z280 (principle 1986)
• Zilog Z180 (ends 1986)
• Zilog Z380 (1994)
• Zilog eZ80 (2001)
• Zilog eZ8 (2005)

Families of Microcontrollers

• Zilog Z8 Encore!
• Zilog Z8 Encore XP!

Infrared Controllers

• Zilog Crimzon

IrDA Transmitter-Receiver

• ZHX series

Communication Controllers

Microprocessors

• Z80382/Z8L382

Single-chip modem

• Z022 series

PCMCIA Adapter

• Z16017/Z16M17/Z86017

Serial Communications Controllers

Wireless Controller

• Z87200
• Z87L01
• Z87L10

Digital Signal Processor (DSP)

• Z86295
• Z89 series

TV Controllers

21-line decoders (subtitles, V-chip)

• Z86129/Z86130/Z86131
• Z86228/Z86229/Z86230

TV Controllers

• Z90231
• Z90233
• Z90251
• Z90255