Where does the Z80 processor start executing from?












21















Strangely I can't find this information anywhere online -- I've thoroughly looked at the datasheet, and I've searched things like "Z80 program counter initial value" -- but I can't find anything!



My question is simply: when the Z80 just turns on, what value does the program counter take? (i.e., what instruction does it start executing from?)



Logically, I'd assume it initialises to 0, but I want to be sure of this.










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  • IIRC when we ran CP/M on a TRS-80 Model I, it required a hardware mod because there was a 4 k ROM starting at address 0, so the OS couldn't gain control of the hardware.

    – Ben Crowell
    2 days ago
















21















Strangely I can't find this information anywhere online -- I've thoroughly looked at the datasheet, and I've searched things like "Z80 program counter initial value" -- but I can't find anything!



My question is simply: when the Z80 just turns on, what value does the program counter take? (i.e., what instruction does it start executing from?)



Logically, I'd assume it initialises to 0, but I want to be sure of this.










share|improve this question







New contributor




Jacob Garby is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





















  • IIRC when we ran CP/M on a TRS-80 Model I, it required a hardware mod because there was a 4 k ROM starting at address 0, so the OS couldn't gain control of the hardware.

    – Ben Crowell
    2 days ago














21












21








21








Strangely I can't find this information anywhere online -- I've thoroughly looked at the datasheet, and I've searched things like "Z80 program counter initial value" -- but I can't find anything!



My question is simply: when the Z80 just turns on, what value does the program counter take? (i.e., what instruction does it start executing from?)



Logically, I'd assume it initialises to 0, but I want to be sure of this.










share|improve this question







New contributor




Jacob Garby is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












Strangely I can't find this information anywhere online -- I've thoroughly looked at the datasheet, and I've searched things like "Z80 program counter initial value" -- but I can't find anything!



My question is simply: when the Z80 just turns on, what value does the program counter take? (i.e., what instruction does it start executing from?)



Logically, I'd assume it initialises to 0, but I want to be sure of this.







z80






share|improve this question







New contributor




Jacob Garby is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




Jacob Garby is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question






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Jacob Garby is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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asked Mar 27 at 17:48









Jacob GarbyJacob Garby

2256




2256




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New contributor





Jacob Garby is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






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Check out our Code of Conduct.













  • IIRC when we ran CP/M on a TRS-80 Model I, it required a hardware mod because there was a 4 k ROM starting at address 0, so the OS couldn't gain control of the hardware.

    – Ben Crowell
    2 days ago



















  • IIRC when we ran CP/M on a TRS-80 Model I, it required a hardware mod because there was a 4 k ROM starting at address 0, so the OS couldn't gain control of the hardware.

    – Ben Crowell
    2 days ago

















IIRC when we ran CP/M on a TRS-80 Model I, it required a hardware mod because there was a 4 k ROM starting at address 0, so the OS couldn't gain control of the hardware.

– Ben Crowell
2 days ago





IIRC when we ran CP/M on a TRS-80 Model I, it required a hardware mod because there was a 4 k ROM starting at address 0, so the OS couldn't gain control of the hardware.

– Ben Crowell
2 days ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















24














Yes, it starts from Zero - like the Intel 8080, the Z80 descends from.



Excerpt from Zilog's March 1978 Product Specification (datasheet), page 2, Pin Description, here the /RESET signal (emphasis mine):




Input, active low. RESET initializes the CPU as follows:
reset interrupt enable flip-flop, clear PC and registers
I and R and set interrupt to 8080A mode.




Similar the description in the 1977 Z80 Technical Manual (03-0029-01) on page 9.






share|improve this answer





















  • 2





    Thanks! I actually didn't know that the 8080 started at zero either, but it makes complete sense.

    – Jacob Garby
    Mar 27 at 17:50






  • 14





    @dashnick Many don't just start, but take a vector form a predefined location like 6500 and 6800 start at the vector residing at FFFE/FF, 68k takes the initial PC from Vector 1 (address 4..7). Other do start form some address where the IOC locates a loader record, and so on. Starting from Zero is only one of many ways.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 9





    Intels 8086 employs an interesting combination by starting a offset zero, like 8080/Z80, but in segment FFFF, thus at absolute address FFFF0.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 3





    6502 chip reset starts at a vector found at FFFC. FFFA and FFFE are for interrupts. In other words, reset makes a 6502 do JMP(FFFC). But the 6502 requires 0000-01FF be RAM since those are zero page (basically registers) and the stack.

    – Harper
    2 days ago








  • 2





    PDP-11 starts from a location stored at location 50 (octal), if my memory from 40 years ago is to be trusted, or else a bootstrap program starting at that location. We called it the '50-sequence', and often had to enter it from the console toggle switches.

    – user207421
    2 days ago












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1 Answer
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active

oldest

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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes









24














Yes, it starts from Zero - like the Intel 8080, the Z80 descends from.



Excerpt from Zilog's March 1978 Product Specification (datasheet), page 2, Pin Description, here the /RESET signal (emphasis mine):




Input, active low. RESET initializes the CPU as follows:
reset interrupt enable flip-flop, clear PC and registers
I and R and set interrupt to 8080A mode.




Similar the description in the 1977 Z80 Technical Manual (03-0029-01) on page 9.






share|improve this answer





















  • 2





    Thanks! I actually didn't know that the 8080 started at zero either, but it makes complete sense.

    – Jacob Garby
    Mar 27 at 17:50






  • 14





    @dashnick Many don't just start, but take a vector form a predefined location like 6500 and 6800 start at the vector residing at FFFE/FF, 68k takes the initial PC from Vector 1 (address 4..7). Other do start form some address where the IOC locates a loader record, and so on. Starting from Zero is only one of many ways.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 9





    Intels 8086 employs an interesting combination by starting a offset zero, like 8080/Z80, but in segment FFFF, thus at absolute address FFFF0.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 3





    6502 chip reset starts at a vector found at FFFC. FFFA and FFFE are for interrupts. In other words, reset makes a 6502 do JMP(FFFC). But the 6502 requires 0000-01FF be RAM since those are zero page (basically registers) and the stack.

    – Harper
    2 days ago








  • 2





    PDP-11 starts from a location stored at location 50 (octal), if my memory from 40 years ago is to be trusted, or else a bootstrap program starting at that location. We called it the '50-sequence', and often had to enter it from the console toggle switches.

    – user207421
    2 days ago
















24














Yes, it starts from Zero - like the Intel 8080, the Z80 descends from.



Excerpt from Zilog's March 1978 Product Specification (datasheet), page 2, Pin Description, here the /RESET signal (emphasis mine):




Input, active low. RESET initializes the CPU as follows:
reset interrupt enable flip-flop, clear PC and registers
I and R and set interrupt to 8080A mode.




Similar the description in the 1977 Z80 Technical Manual (03-0029-01) on page 9.






share|improve this answer





















  • 2





    Thanks! I actually didn't know that the 8080 started at zero either, but it makes complete sense.

    – Jacob Garby
    Mar 27 at 17:50






  • 14





    @dashnick Many don't just start, but take a vector form a predefined location like 6500 and 6800 start at the vector residing at FFFE/FF, 68k takes the initial PC from Vector 1 (address 4..7). Other do start form some address where the IOC locates a loader record, and so on. Starting from Zero is only one of many ways.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 9





    Intels 8086 employs an interesting combination by starting a offset zero, like 8080/Z80, but in segment FFFF, thus at absolute address FFFF0.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 3





    6502 chip reset starts at a vector found at FFFC. FFFA and FFFE are for interrupts. In other words, reset makes a 6502 do JMP(FFFC). But the 6502 requires 0000-01FF be RAM since those are zero page (basically registers) and the stack.

    – Harper
    2 days ago








  • 2





    PDP-11 starts from a location stored at location 50 (octal), if my memory from 40 years ago is to be trusted, or else a bootstrap program starting at that location. We called it the '50-sequence', and often had to enter it from the console toggle switches.

    – user207421
    2 days ago














24












24








24







Yes, it starts from Zero - like the Intel 8080, the Z80 descends from.



Excerpt from Zilog's March 1978 Product Specification (datasheet), page 2, Pin Description, here the /RESET signal (emphasis mine):




Input, active low. RESET initializes the CPU as follows:
reset interrupt enable flip-flop, clear PC and registers
I and R and set interrupt to 8080A mode.




Similar the description in the 1977 Z80 Technical Manual (03-0029-01) on page 9.






share|improve this answer















Yes, it starts from Zero - like the Intel 8080, the Z80 descends from.



Excerpt from Zilog's March 1978 Product Specification (datasheet), page 2, Pin Description, here the /RESET signal (emphasis mine):




Input, active low. RESET initializes the CPU as follows:
reset interrupt enable flip-flop, clear PC and registers
I and R and set interrupt to 8080A mode.




Similar the description in the 1977 Z80 Technical Manual (03-0029-01) on page 9.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 2 days ago

























answered Mar 27 at 17:49









RaffzahnRaffzahn

54.4k6133219




54.4k6133219








  • 2





    Thanks! I actually didn't know that the 8080 started at zero either, but it makes complete sense.

    – Jacob Garby
    Mar 27 at 17:50






  • 14





    @dashnick Many don't just start, but take a vector form a predefined location like 6500 and 6800 start at the vector residing at FFFE/FF, 68k takes the initial PC from Vector 1 (address 4..7). Other do start form some address where the IOC locates a loader record, and so on. Starting from Zero is only one of many ways.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 9





    Intels 8086 employs an interesting combination by starting a offset zero, like 8080/Z80, but in segment FFFF, thus at absolute address FFFF0.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 3





    6502 chip reset starts at a vector found at FFFC. FFFA and FFFE are for interrupts. In other words, reset makes a 6502 do JMP(FFFC). But the 6502 requires 0000-01FF be RAM since those are zero page (basically registers) and the stack.

    – Harper
    2 days ago








  • 2





    PDP-11 starts from a location stored at location 50 (octal), if my memory from 40 years ago is to be trusted, or else a bootstrap program starting at that location. We called it the '50-sequence', and often had to enter it from the console toggle switches.

    – user207421
    2 days ago














  • 2





    Thanks! I actually didn't know that the 8080 started at zero either, but it makes complete sense.

    – Jacob Garby
    Mar 27 at 17:50






  • 14





    @dashnick Many don't just start, but take a vector form a predefined location like 6500 and 6800 start at the vector residing at FFFE/FF, 68k takes the initial PC from Vector 1 (address 4..7). Other do start form some address where the IOC locates a loader record, and so on. Starting from Zero is only one of many ways.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 9





    Intels 8086 employs an interesting combination by starting a offset zero, like 8080/Z80, but in segment FFFF, thus at absolute address FFFF0.

    – Raffzahn
    2 days ago






  • 3





    6502 chip reset starts at a vector found at FFFC. FFFA and FFFE are for interrupts. In other words, reset makes a 6502 do JMP(FFFC). But the 6502 requires 0000-01FF be RAM since those are zero page (basically registers) and the stack.

    – Harper
    2 days ago








  • 2





    PDP-11 starts from a location stored at location 50 (octal), if my memory from 40 years ago is to be trusted, or else a bootstrap program starting at that location. We called it the '50-sequence', and often had to enter it from the console toggle switches.

    – user207421
    2 days ago








2




2





Thanks! I actually didn't know that the 8080 started at zero either, but it makes complete sense.

– Jacob Garby
Mar 27 at 17:50





Thanks! I actually didn't know that the 8080 started at zero either, but it makes complete sense.

– Jacob Garby
Mar 27 at 17:50




14




14





@dashnick Many don't just start, but take a vector form a predefined location like 6500 and 6800 start at the vector residing at FFFE/FF, 68k takes the initial PC from Vector 1 (address 4..7). Other do start form some address where the IOC locates a loader record, and so on. Starting from Zero is only one of many ways.

– Raffzahn
2 days ago





@dashnick Many don't just start, but take a vector form a predefined location like 6500 and 6800 start at the vector residing at FFFE/FF, 68k takes the initial PC from Vector 1 (address 4..7). Other do start form some address where the IOC locates a loader record, and so on. Starting from Zero is only one of many ways.

– Raffzahn
2 days ago




9




9





Intels 8086 employs an interesting combination by starting a offset zero, like 8080/Z80, but in segment FFFF, thus at absolute address FFFF0.

– Raffzahn
2 days ago





Intels 8086 employs an interesting combination by starting a offset zero, like 8080/Z80, but in segment FFFF, thus at absolute address FFFF0.

– Raffzahn
2 days ago




3




3





6502 chip reset starts at a vector found at FFFC. FFFA and FFFE are for interrupts. In other words, reset makes a 6502 do JMP(FFFC). But the 6502 requires 0000-01FF be RAM since those are zero page (basically registers) and the stack.

– Harper
2 days ago







6502 chip reset starts at a vector found at FFFC. FFFA and FFFE are for interrupts. In other words, reset makes a 6502 do JMP(FFFC). But the 6502 requires 0000-01FF be RAM since those are zero page (basically registers) and the stack.

– Harper
2 days ago






2




2





PDP-11 starts from a location stored at location 50 (octal), if my memory from 40 years ago is to be trusted, or else a bootstrap program starting at that location. We called it the '50-sequence', and often had to enter it from the console toggle switches.

– user207421
2 days ago





PDP-11 starts from a location stored at location 50 (octal), if my memory from 40 years ago is to be trusted, or else a bootstrap program starting at that location. We called it the '50-sequence', and often had to enter it from the console toggle switches.

– user207421
2 days ago










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