Maybe its time for a history refresher:

PHASE 1: Parallel Buses Dominated

8080 quickly withered, the Z80 rulled. 8085 attempted a coup and withered. Intel gave up and went into 80x6 architecture.

PHASE 2: Microcontrollers Appear

8051 arrived to poor reception. Problem was using it with parallel bus - not its strength. Zilog introduced Z-8, a pathetic microcontroller they NEVER admitted was underpowered and useless. Zilog didn't care anyway because they were trying to win the "x000" clase micro wars against 80xx6 and 68000 case. Zilog let the 8051 find its niche.

PHASE 3: Bad Decisions

Zilog FOLLOWS Hitachi 64180 with its 180/280. SO WHAT?! Its still a Z80 and not a microcontroller. Zilog tried to FORCE the idea that the Z-8 was a capable microcontroller but engineers knew 8051 ruled that niche.

PHASE X: Today

I am a Z80, 64180 fan for PARALLEL bus applications. Zilog FAILED with the Z8 and should have used the Z80 set in a COMBINED microcontroller - but its hard for a company selling individual SIO/CTC/ETC successfully to COMBINE them all in one chip for less. It was a BUSINESS DECISION that cost Zilog its future. They failed. End of story.

Phase X+: The Future

Can Zilog finally address the microcontroller niche? Too late really. I'd probably implement it if they finally did it right but most designers crow-bar into every design, their favorite micro and that means the 8051 will continue.

Zilog's Future? I think they are directionless and merely want to be bought out by another company like Philips.

-Jay C. Box