[[image:Z80A.jpg|thumb|Zilog Z80A]]
Microprocessor from Zilog, wich is used in the Amstrad CPC Computers. The Z80/Z80A was a very popular microprocessor, used in a great variety of home computers and appliances as far-fetched as satelites. It was even used in the Commodore C128 as a secondary processor in order to achieve [[CP/M]] compatibility.
== Description ==
The Z80 microprocessor is an 8 bit CPU with a 16 bit address bus capable of direct access of 64k of memory space. It has a language of 252 root instructions and with the reserved 4 bytes as prefixes, acceses an additional 308 instructions. The Z80 was modeled after the 8088 and contains the 78 - 8088 opcodes as a subset to it's language.
Programming features include an accumulator and six eight bit registers that can be paired as 3-16 bit registers. In addition to the general registers, a stack-pointer, program-counter, and two index (memory pointers) registers are provided. While not in the same leauge as the 80486 or 68000 series, the Z80 is extremely useful for low cost control applications. One of the more useful features of the Z80 is the built-in refresh circuitry for ease of design with DRAMs.
The Z80 comes in a 40 pin DIP package. It has been manufactured in A, B, and C models, differing only in maximum clock speed. It also has been manufactured as a stand-alone microcontroler with various configurations of on-chip RAM and EPROM.
== See also ==
== Tutorials ==
== Weblinks ==