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. It was discontinued in June 2024 after 48 years of production. The chip powered numerous classic systems including the ZX Spectrum, Game Boy, and Pac-Man arcade cabinet. Now, an open-source replacement project led by Renaldas Zioma has produced working silicon, with the goal of creating a drop-in DIP40 replacement for retro machines. The design uses Guy Hutchison's TV80 Verilog core and is being fabbed on various 130nm and 180nm nodes, targeting clock speeds up to 50 MHz. Meanwhile, Zilog is also ending production of the eZ80L92, a successor chip, due to low demand.