8080

From CPCWiki - THE Amstrad CPC encyclopedia!
Jump to: navigation, search

The Intel 8080 is a seminal CPU introduced in 1974 that gave rise to the personal computer/home computer/microcomputer revolution.

Incorporated in early home computers like the Altair 8800, the 8080 ultimately led to the machine code-compatible, but more powerful clone Zilog Z80, which was of course also used in the Amstrad CPC and Sinclair ZX Spectrum among others. (Note that 8080 assembly language looks different from Z80 mnemonics; e.g. the Z80 uses LD whereas the 8080 has MOV and several other commands.)

CP/M required an 8080 or Z80 CPU and between 1976 and about 1983, microcomputers with a Z80 that ran CP/M were the norm before the market shifted to MS-DOS.

Links