Zilog Z80 Turns 50 as Open-Source Drop-In Replacement Nears Production
The Zilog Z80, an iconic 8-bit CPU launched in July 1976, has turned 50 years old. Production ceased in June 2024 after 48 years, but a community-funded open-source replacement is nearing availability in the original 40-pin DIP package. The original chip packed 8,500 transistors on a 4µm process and ran at 2.5 MHz, powering systems like the ZX Spectrum, Game Boy, and Pac-Man arcade cabinet. Renaldas Zioma's FOSS Z80 project has produced functional silicon on SkyWater's 130nm node, with a DIP40 version targeting GlobalFoundries' 180nm node. The design, based on Guy Hutchison's TV80 Verilog core, could support clocks up to 50 MHz. Meanwhile, Zilog is also ending production of the eZ80L92 successor due to low demand, though the eZ80 architecture remains in TI calculators. Hobbyists continue to find new uses for the Z80, including running a tiny conversational AI with 64KB of RAM.
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