Mastodawn

The Retro Timer 💾Apr 19, 2024

Zilog Z80, 1976 – 2024.

https://www.mouser.com/PCN/Littelfuse_PCN_Z84C00.pdf

Over its 48 year life, the Z80 found its way into inumerable devices.

It's perhaps most famous for being the CPU used in the ZX Spectrum, but could also be found as a sound co-processor in the Sega Mega Drive and SNK's Neo Geo arcade boards, among others.

I remember finding one inside my first HP inkjet printer back in the late 90's, and my parent's Sony Trinitron CRT, handling the on-screen menus (and teletext).

R.I.P. 💀

#z80 #retrocomputing

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DrYak Apr 20, 2024

@carlosefr and the craziest part: only the og Z80 in DIP packaging is being discontinued. The fully compatible successors *will continue* being produced (one day, my daughter will probably use a calculator which is still eZ80 powered)

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The Retro Timer 💾

@dryak According to the memo, that's not the case. It's the Z80 dies that will cease to be manufactured (by the foundry).

By looking at datasheets for the listed parts, it appears to include at least DIP, QFP, and LPCC packages.

It does appear to be only the OG Z80 dies – and not the updated eZ80, for example.

I also don't know if there are any non-Zilog clones of the OG Z80 still being manufactured, and whether they're affected.