Introduction
The Sharp MZ-80A is based on the Sharp MZ-80K and has basically the same hardware. The machine has some improvements such as a Centronics port, and a better keyboard than the 80K. The machine was presented by Sharp in Germany in 1981. It ran at 2MHz, but was easily upgradable to 4MHz. The RAM could be expanded to 48K Max
CPU View - Sharp LH0080A
The Sharp LH0080A is a microprocessor produced by Sharp, and is fully compatible with the Zilog Z80. The LH0080A has been used in various computers:
- Sharp 8-bit MZ-series (MZ-80 through MZ-800)
- Sony HB-55 MSX
- HotBit HB-8000
CPU View - Zilog Z80 Family
The Z80 quickly became popular in the personal computer market, with many early personal computers, such as the TRS-80 and Sinclair ZX80, using the Z80 as their central processing unit (CPU). It was also widely used in home computers, such as the MSX range, SORD, and the Amstrad CPC, as well as in many arcade games. Additionally, it was also used in other applications such as industrial control systems, and embedded systems. The Z80 was widely used until the mid-1980s, when it was gradually replaced by newer microprocessors such as the Intel 80286 and the Motorola 68000.
The Z80 microprocessor was developed by Zilog, a company founded by Federico Faggin in 1974. The Z80 was released in July 1976, as a successor to the Intel 8080. It was designed to be fully compatible with the 8080, but also included new features such as an improved instruction set, more powerful interrupts, and a more sophisticated memory management system.
The Z80 quickly became popular in the personal computer
VRAM: 1kB Sound Chip Intel 8253 PIT generating square wave Sound 1 square wave channel. Display Chip none Display 40x24 Text Best Text 40x24 Best Color monochrome Graphics Text Only Sprites none System OS Monitor System Storage Built in Tape Drive Original Price $1800