Zilog
Encyclopedia
Zilog, Inc., previously known as ZiLOG (which stands for "Z (the last word of) integrated logic"), is a manufacturer of 8-bit
and 24-bit
microcontroller
s, and is most famous for its Intel 8080
-compatible Z80
series.
in 1974 by Federico Faggin
, who left Intel after working on the 4004 and then the 8080 microprocessors. The company became a subsidiary
of Exxon
in 1980, but the management and employees bought it back in 1989 led by Dr. Edgar Sack.
Zilog went public in 1991, but was acquired in 1998 by Texas Pacific Group
. Curtis Crawford replaced Dr. Edgar Sack and changed the companies direction towards 32 bit Data Communications Processors. Bonds were sold against the company to fund the new developments, but after the internet bubble burst in 2000 and the resultant reduction in customer demand for such products, Curtis Crawford was replaced by James (Jim) Thorburn who reorganized the company under Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2001 and refocused it back to the 8 and 16 bit microcontroller market.
Jim Thorburn led Zilog back into profitability by FY 2007 they had $82 million in sales. During this time they developed the Encore! Flash 8 bit MCU product family and ZNEO Flash 16 bit MCU product family. In Feb 2007 Zilog hired Darin Billerbeck to replace Jim Thorburn as President and CEO.
2007 was the last year Zilog introduced any new 8-bit microcontroller products. With no new product roadmap, for FY2008 sales fell 20% to $67.2 million. Sales fell 46% in FY2009 to $36.2 million.
On January 2008, Zilog declined an unsolicited proposal made by Universal Electronics Inc to acquire the company.
On February 19, 2009, Zilog announced that it had sold off their 8-bit Crimzon Universal Remote Control infrared microcontroller product line, as well as their ARM9 32-bit microcontrollers, including the Zatara security microcontrollers and 15 patents, to Maxim Integrated Products. Remote control manufacturer Universal Electronics Inc. purchased all of Zilog's software & IP assets related to Zilog's universal remote control business, including all ROM code, software, and database of infrared codes. Zilog sold these assets for $31 million cash, less than half the assets real worth.
In December 2009, IXYS Corporation bought the company for $62.4m in cash, which was significantly below the market valuation of Zilog's stock at the time. Details of the acquisition have been under investigation.
In June 2010, Zilog's distributors discontinued sales of its 16-bit ZNEO microcontroller.
Zilog still sells 8-bit microcontroller markets, but has not introduced a new 8-bit microcontroller semiconductor since 2007.
architecture, which was faster, more capable, and much cheaper; alongside the 6502
it was one of the most popular 8-bit processors for general purpose microcomputers and other applications. It was used in the Nintendo
Game Boy
, the Sinclair
ZX80, ZX81, ZX Spectrum
and the Amstrad
CPC
home computer
s as well as the MSX
architecture and the Tandy
TRS-80
series—among many others. More so than simply sparking improvements in the budding field of home computing and gaming, the Z-80 also sparked a revolution in electronic music, as the first truly programmable polyphonic synthesizers (as well as their peripherals) relied heavily on implementations of this CPU.
Many Texas Instruments
graphing calculator
s used the Z80 as the main processor
, and the chip found continued use in some game consoles such as the Sega
Mega Drive (Genesis in the United States) as a dedicated sound controller. The CP/M
operating system
(and its huge software library featuring hits like Wordstar
and dBase
) was known to be "the Z80 disk operating system", and its success is partly due to the popularity of the Z80.
After the Z80 Zilog introduced the 16-bit
Z8000 and 32-bit
Z80000 processors, but these were not particularly successful, and the company refocused on the microcontroller
market, producing both basic CPUs and application-specific integrated circuits/standard product
s (ASICs/ASSPs) built around a CPU core. As well as producing processors, Zilog has produced several other components. One of the most famous was the Z8530 serial communications controller as found on Sun
SPARCstation
s and SPARCservers up to the SPARCstation 20
.
Zilog also formed a Systems Division, which designed the Zilog System 8000, a Z8000- or Z80000-based multiuser computer system running a Unix derivative called ZEUS (Zilog Enhanced UNIX System).
Zilog attempted to enter the 32-bit microcontroller market in February 2006 with the demonstration of ARM9-based Point-Of-Sale (POS
) microcontroller product line. The final product was released in 2007 called Zatara. Sales were disappointing and the entire ARM9 series was sold to Maxim Integrated Products in 2009.
Zilog also produced Zdots single board computers. It includes Zilog eZ80AcclaimPlus controller, 1MiB flash memory, 512KiB SRAM, 10BaseT Ethernet Controller, IrDA transceiver, 2 x 60-pin system expansion interface with full MPU bus/control signals, RJ-45 Ethernet connector. Motion detection version includes Z8 Encore! XP MCU.
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
and 24-bit
24-bit
Notable 24-bit machines include the ICT 1900 series and the Harris H series.The IBM System/360, announced in 1964, was a popular computer system with 24-bit addressing and 32-bit general registers and arithmetic...
microcontroller
Microcontroller
A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Program memory in the form of NOR flash or OTP ROM is also often included on chip, as well as a typically small amount of RAM...
s, and is most famous for its Intel 8080
Intel 8080
The Intel 8080 was the second 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufactured by Intel and was released in April 1974. It was an extended and enhanced variant of the earlier 8008 design, although without binary compatibility...
-compatible Z80
Zilog Z80
The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog and sold from July 1976 onwards. It was widely used both in desktop and embedded computer designs as well as for military purposes...
series.
History
Zilog was incorporated in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1974 by Federico Faggin
Federico Faggin
Federico Faggin , who received in 2010 the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by Barack Obama, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers, and inventors, at the White House in Washington, is an Italian-born and naturalized U.S...
, who left Intel after working on the 4004 and then the 8080 microprocessors. The company became a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
in 1980, but the management and employees bought it back in 1989 led by Dr. Edgar Sack.
Zilog went public in 1991, but was acquired in 1998 by Texas Pacific Group
Texas Pacific Group
TPG Capital is one of the largest private equity investment firms globally, focused on leveraged buyout, growth capital and leveraged recapitalization investments in distressed companies and turnaround situations. TPG also manages investment funds specializing in growth capital, venture capital,...
. Curtis Crawford replaced Dr. Edgar Sack and changed the companies direction towards 32 bit Data Communications Processors. Bonds were sold against the company to fund the new developments, but after the internet bubble burst in 2000 and the resultant reduction in customer demand for such products, Curtis Crawford was replaced by James (Jim) Thorburn who reorganized the company under Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2001 and refocused it back to the 8 and 16 bit microcontroller market.
Jim Thorburn led Zilog back into profitability by FY 2007 they had $82 million in sales. During this time they developed the Encore! Flash 8 bit MCU product family and ZNEO Flash 16 bit MCU product family. In Feb 2007 Zilog hired Darin Billerbeck to replace Jim Thorburn as President and CEO.
2007 was the last year Zilog introduced any new 8-bit microcontroller products. With no new product roadmap, for FY2008 sales fell 20% to $67.2 million. Sales fell 46% in FY2009 to $36.2 million.
On January 2008, Zilog declined an unsolicited proposal made by Universal Electronics Inc to acquire the company.
In December 2009, IXYS Corporation bought the company for $62.4m in cash, which was significantly below the market valuation of Zilog's stock at the time. Details of the acquisition have been under investigation.
In June 2010, Zilog's distributors discontinued sales of its 16-bit ZNEO microcontroller.
Zilog still sells 8-bit microcontroller markets, but has not introduced a new 8-bit microcontroller semiconductor since 2007.
Products
The Z80(i) was an improved implementation of the Intel 8080Intel 8080
The Intel 8080 was the second 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufactured by Intel and was released in April 1974. It was an extended and enhanced variant of the earlier 8008 design, although without binary compatibility...
architecture, which was faster, more capable, and much cheaper; alongside the 6502
MOS Technology 6502
The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch for MOS Technology in 1975. When it was introduced, it was the least expensive full-featured microprocessor on the market by a considerable margin, costing less than one-sixth the price of...
it was one of the most popular 8-bit processors for general purpose microcomputers and other applications. It was used in the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, the Sinclair
Sinclair Research Ltd
Sinclair Research Ltd is a British consumer electronics company founded by Sir Clive Sinclair in Cambridge. Originally incorporated in 1973 as Ablesdeal Ltd., it remained dormant until 1976, and did not adopt the name Sinclair Research until 1981....
ZX80, ZX81, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and the Amstrad
Amstrad
Amstrad is a British electronics company, now wholly owned by BSkyB. As of 2006, Amstrad's main business is manufacturing Sky Digital interactive boxes....
CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
s as well as the MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
architecture and the Tandy
Tandy Corporation
Tandy Corporation was a family-owned leather goods company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Tandy was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store, and acquired RadioShack in 1963. The Tandy name was dropped in May 2000, when RadioShack Corporation was made the official name.-History:Tandy began in 1919...
TRS-80
TRS-80
TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...
series—among many others. More so than simply sparking improvements in the budding field of home computing and gaming, the Z-80 also sparked a revolution in electronic music, as the first truly programmable polyphonic synthesizers (as well as their peripherals) relied heavily on implementations of this CPU.
Many Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
graphing calculator
Graphing calculator
A graphing calculator typically refers to a class of handheld calculators that are capable of plotting graphs, solving simultaneous equations, and performing numerous other tasks with variables...
s used the Z80 as the main processor
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
, and the chip found continued use in some game consoles such as the Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
Mega Drive (Genesis in the United States) as a dedicated sound controller. The CP/M
CP/M
CP/M was a mass-market operating system created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
(and its huge software library featuring hits like Wordstar
WordStar
WordStar is a word processor application, published by MicroPro International, originally written for the CP/M operating system but later ported to DOS, that enjoyed a dominant market share during the early to mid-1980s. Although Seymour I...
and dBase
DBASE
dBase II was the first widely used database management system for microcomputers. It was originally published by Ashton-Tate for CP/M, and later on ported to the Apple II and IBM PC under DOS...
) was known to be "the Z80 disk operating system", and its success is partly due to the popularity of the Z80.
After the Z80 Zilog introduced the 16-bit
16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
Z8000 and 32-bit
32-bit
The range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
Z80000 processors, but these were not particularly successful, and the company refocused on the microcontroller
Microcontroller
A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Program memory in the form of NOR flash or OTP ROM is also often included on chip, as well as a typically small amount of RAM...
market, producing both basic CPUs and application-specific integrated circuits/standard product
Application-specific integrated circuit
An application-specific integrated circuit is an integrated circuit customized for a particular use, rather than intended for general-purpose use. For example, a chip designed solely to run a cell phone is an ASIC...
s (ASICs/ASSPs) built around a CPU core. As well as producing processors, Zilog has produced several other components. One of the most famous was the Z8530 serial communications controller as found on Sun
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
SPARCstation
SPARCstation
The SPARCstation, SPARCserver and SPARCcenter product lines were a series of SPARC-based computer workstations and servers in desktop, deskside and rack-based form factor developed and sold by Sun Microsystems...
s and SPARCservers up to the SPARCstation 20
SPARCstation 20
The SPARCstation 20 is a Sun Microsystems workstation based on the SuperSPARC or hyperSPARC CPU. It was the last model in the SPARCstation family of Sun "pizza box" computers, which was superseded by the UltraSPARC design in 1995.-CPU support:The SPARCstation 20 had dual 50 MHz MBus ports that...
.
Zilog also formed a Systems Division, which designed the Zilog System 8000, a Z8000- or Z80000-based multiuser computer system running a Unix derivative called ZEUS (Zilog Enhanced UNIX System).
Zilog attempted to enter the 32-bit microcontroller market in February 2006 with the demonstration of ARM9-based Point-Of-Sale (POS
Point of sale
Point of sale or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs...
) microcontroller product line. The final product was released in 2007 called Zatara. Sales were disappointing and the entire ARM9 series was sold to Maxim Integrated Products in 2009.
Zilog also produced Zdots single board computers. It includes Zilog eZ80AcclaimPlus controller, 1MiB flash memory, 512KiB SRAM, 10BaseT Ethernet Controller, IrDA transceiver, 2 x 60-pin system expansion interface with full MPU bus/control signals, RJ-45 Ethernet connector. Motion detection version includes Z8 Encore! XP MCU.
Microprocessor families
- Zilog Z80Zilog Z80The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog and sold from July 1976 onwards. It was widely used both in desktop and embedded computer designs as well as for military purposes...
(1976) - Zilog Z8000Zilog Z8000The Z8000 is a 16-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog in 1979. The architecture was designed by Bernard Peuto while the logic and physical implementation was done by Masatoshi Shima, assisted by a small group of people. The Z8000 was not Z80-compatible, and although it saw steady use well into...
(ca 1978) - Zilog Z800Zilog Z800The Zilog Z800 was a 16-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog to be released in 1985. It was instruction compatible with their existing Z80, and differed primarily in having on chip cache and MMU for a 16 MB address range, and also a huge number of new more orthogonal instructions and addressing modes...
(1985) - Zilog Z80000Zilog Z80000The Z80000 is Zilog's 32-bit processor from 1986, an expansion of its 16-bit predecessor, the Zilog Z8000. It includes multiprocessing capability, a six-stage instruction pipeline, and a 256-byte cache. Its memory addressing system can access 4 gigabytes of RAM. Described at the time as a...
(late 1985) - Zilog Z280Zilog Z280The Zilog Z280 was an enhancement of the Zilog Z80 architecture introduced in July 1987, basically a slightly improved CMOS version of the earlier NMOS Zilog Z800, both versions were commercial failures...
(early 1986) - Zilog Z180Zilog Z180The Zilog Z180 8-bit processor is a successor of the Z80 CPU. It is compatible with the large base of software written for the Z80. The Z180 family adds higher performance and integrated peripheral functions like clock generator, 16 bit counters/timers, interrupt controller, wait-state generators,...
(late 1986)
Microcontroller families
- Zilog Z380Zilog Z380The Z380 is Zilog's 32-bit processor from 1994. The Z380 is Z80 compatible, but the newer and faster eZ80 family has been more successful recently. The chip supports 16-bit processing with a clock speed of up to 20MHz....
(1994) - Zilog Z8 Encore!Z8 Encore!The Zilog Z8 Encore! is a microcontroller based on the popular Z8 microcontroller.The Z8 Encore! offers a wide range of features for use in embedded applications....
- Zilog Z8 Encore! XPZ8 Encore!The Zilog Z8 Encore! is a microcontroller based on the popular Z8 microcontroller.The Z8 Encore! offers a wide range of features for use in embedded applications....
- Zilog eZ80Zilog eZ80The Zilog eZ80 is an 8-bit microprocessor which is essentially an updated version of the company's earlier Z80 8-bit microprocessor.The eZ80 is binary compatible with the Z80 and Z180, but almost four times as fast as the original Z80 chip at the same clock frequency...
(2001) - Zilog eZ8 (2005)
Communication controllers
- Z16017/Z16M17/Z86017 PCMCIA adapter
- Z80382/Z8L382 microprocessor
- Z5380 SCSI protocol controller (based on NCRNCR CorporationNCR Corporation is an American technology company specializing in kiosk products for the retail, financial, travel, healthcare, food service, entertainment, gaming and public sector industries. Its main products are self-service kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, automated teller machines, check...
5380) - Z022 series single-chip modem
Motion Detection
- ZEPIR0AAS02MODG - ZMOTION(TM) Motion Detection Module
- Z8FS040 ZMOTION(TM) MCU - Microcontroller with built in motion detection algorithms
- Z8FS021A - ZMOTION(TM) Intrusion MCU - Microcontroller with built in intrusion motion detection algorithms
Executive Management
- Dr. Nathan Zommer - Chairman & CEO
- Mr. Uzi Sasson, President
- Mike Speckman - VP, WW Sales
- Dan Eaton - VP, General Counsel