{"id":115452,"date":"2024-04-30T19:53:01","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T17:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prohoster.info\/blog\/novosti-interneta\/proekt-po-proizvodstvu-otkrytogo-proczessora-sovmestimogo-s-z80"},"modified":"2024-04-30T19:53:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T17:53:01","slug":"proekt-po-proizvodstvu-otkrytogo-proczessora-sovmestimogo-s-z80","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prohoster.info\/en\/blog\/news\/proekt-po-proizvodstvu-otkrytogo-proczessora-sovmestimogo-s-z80","title":{"rendered":"An open processor project compatible with Z80.","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"
After Zilog ceased production of the 8-bit Z80 processors on April 15, enthusiasts initiated the creation of an open clone of this processor. The goal of the project is to develop a replacement for the Z80 processors that will be compatible with the original Zilog Z80 CPU, maintaining pin compatibility and usable in the ZX Spectrum computer. Schematics, descriptions of hardware blocks in Verilog, and the necessary production documentation are distributed under the Apache 2.0 license. The production of the first trial batch of FOSS Z80 processors is scheduled for June 2024. <\/p>\n
The FOSS Z80 chip development utilizes the OpenROAD framework, which is being developed to automate the open chip design process, as well as the Skywater PDK (Process Design Kit), which describes the 130nm manufacturing process used at the SkyWater factory, allowing for the preparation of the necessary design files for chip production. To reduce costs for the testing and design of the chip, the Tiny Tapeout project infrastructure is being utilized. <\/p>\n
The quick readiness of the chip is explained by the fact that instead of designing from scratch, the development was based on the previously evolving open project TV80, which provides a Verilog description of a core compatible with the CPU Z80, distributed under the MIT license. After the production of the first batch, the project's developers plan to compare the chip with other implementations, such as A-Z80 \u2014 an FPGA-based implementation (Altera, Xilinx, and Lattice), distributed under the GPLv2 license, and Z80Explorer \u2014 a simulator of the integrated circuit that reproduces the Zilog Z-80 at the electronic circuit level. <\/p>\n
The Z80 processor was introduced in 1976 and was produced for 48 years. The chip gained fame through home computers like the ZX Spectrum, gaming consoles like Sega and Game Boy, calculators from Texas Instruments, and its support in the CP\/M operating system. Additionally, the Z80 CPU was widely used in industrial equipment, various controllers, modems, cash registers, measuring equipment, and peripheral devices. \n Source: opennet.ru<\/a> <\/p>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"