When Federico Faggin Left Intel

Federico Faggin left Intel on October 31, 1974, after helping create the company’s early microprocessors: the 4004 and 4040, followed by the 8008 and 8080. His experience designing chips with Silicon Gate Technology at Fairchild had drawn him to Intel, where he hoped to build advanced computer processors. But Intel was uncertain about the market and repeatedly delayed CPU projects, shifting him to work he considered less meaningful, including components for vending machines. A reprimand over his arriving after 8 a.m. - despite working late into the evening - became a final grievance. After securing funding, he left to establish a company where he could pursue his own direction.

That company, Zilog, became the first to focus specifically on microprocessors, and its first product was the Z-80. Compatible with Intel’s 8080 but equipped with useful enhancements, the chip became a favored processor for CP/M computers and a wide range of home systems and game consoles. It powered the Radio Shack TRS-80, Sinclair and Amstrad computers, MSX machines, the ColecoVision, and the Sega Master System; it also served as a secondary processor in the Sega Genesis. Even Datapoint, which had commissioned Intel’s 8008 but did not use it, later put a Z-80 in a product. Although the rise of 16- and 32-bit computers reduced its prominence, the Z-80 remained in use for decades, with production ending in 2024.