PicoZ80 Is a Drop-In Replacement for Everyone's Favorite Zilog CPU

8 hours ago

The picoZ80 project uses an RP2350B on a DIP-40 sized PCB to emulate a Z80, with a second core for acceleration and additional functionalities like USB host and disk emulation.
An ESP32 co-processor is included for WiFi, Bluetooth, and SD-card control, acting as a virtual, wirelessly accessible disk drive.
The project features 8 MB SPRAM and 16 MB flash memory, with ROM images transferred to RAM at boot.
Drivers are available for certain Z80 systems, including RC2014, Sharp MZ-80A, and Sharp MZ-700, with Amstrad PCW8256/Tatung TC01 next in line.
The classic through-hole Z80 by Zilog reached EOL in 2024, but clones and emulation options like the UnIC project and FPGA solutions remain.
Potential future production of Z80 clones depends on market demand, though emulation on ARM chips is currently more cost-effective.
Historical context includes mentions of Steve Ciarcia's work with the Hitachi 64180 and Byte Magazine's influence.
The ZX Spectrum has been demonstrated running Doom, showcasing the versatility of vintage hardware with modern software tweaks.

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