Talk:Zilog Z80

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TLCS 90

is not a Z-80 compatible device. This device has all instructions Z-80 have, but instruction binary bit-assigns are completely different, and does not have binary compatibility. 2400:4051:4CE0:C400:922B:34FF:FED6:A16D (talk) 11:09, 15 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Merge from Zilog Z280

Per User_talk:Mark_viking#Zilog_Z280 and Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Zilog Z380. @Mark viking

Quite a few other entries in Category:Zilog microprocessors could use similar consideration. _{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| reply here} 00:44, 11 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@Pavlor and @Gábor who also participated in Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Zilog Z380 _{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| reply here} 02:10, 14 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

No contest. Redirects are cheap and can be turned back into an article, if more sources are found. Pavlor (talk) 05:01, 14 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

discontinue production of the Z80 CPU

Zilog announced in April 2024 that it will discontinue production of the Z80 CPU after 48 years on the market. The Z80's architecture is unable to compete with 8-bit RISC and low-cost 32-bit embedded processors. The discontinued versions include NMOS with clock speeds from 4 MHz to 8 MHz and CMOS from 8 MHz to 20 MHz 103.21.175.23 (talk) 04:50, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Z80 in scrolling displays

Hi, I have a picture of one here. Where can I upload it for addition please? Thanks!! 78.41.5.98 (talk) 06:43, 9 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Doesn't have fourteen registers

The intro, rather pompously, states "The Z80 boasted fourteen registers compared to the 8080's seven". The silly 'boasted' part can go, that's a given. The main point though is the Z80 doesn't have 14 registers. I imagine they've seen the alternate registers and implied they're general-purpose registers, which is not how register counts are done in its competitors and therefore not correct an introductory statement that's for comparison to other CPUs.

Its Zilog datasheet (1970s one and the 2004 one) states "These registers include two sets of six general purpose registers which may be used individually as either 8-bit registers or as 16-bit register pairs. In addition, there are two sets of accumulator and flag registers. The Z80 CPU also contains a Stack Pointer, Program Counter, two index registers, a REFRESH register, and an INTERRUPT register."

For general-purpose registers (i.e. not principally used by the hardware, but principally for software to store data in) the Z80 has 7 (A, B, C, D, E, H, L) plus 2 (IX, IY), so that's 9. The remainder (F, SP, PC, R, interrupts) are for hardware and, in the case of the interrupt register not really seen as a register. Unless anyone objects, I'll rewrite that intro (please don't run in and rewrite it first). ToaneeM (talk) 13:38, 25 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I’m not opposed to changing the wording. However, I do want to point out that the alternative registers are a primary feature of the Z80. To my understanding, that feature differentiated it from its competitors and contributed to its success, which would make it worthy of inclusion in the intro.

Maybe something like:

Compared to the 8080, the Z80 added an alternate general purpose register along with additional instructions for bit manipulation, making it a more powerful chip.

RickyCourtney (talk) 14:37, 25 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Zilog's own promotional material (image on this page) gives the register counts as 8 vs. 17. Now why wouldn't the alternate set be counted? They were general purpose registers, with all the same features, and were extremely useful as such in interrupt service routines etc. Andy Dingley (talk) 15:22, 25 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]