Campbell, California-based Zilog Inc may be a shadow of the company it was in the days when the 8-bit Zilog Z80 microprocessor ruled the desktop, but it has never been a public company. In its heyday, it was owned by Exxon Corp, which let it go in a management buyout. Zilog failed in the 16-bit generation with the Z8000 and the 32-bit Z80000 never really got off the ground. These days it is best known for its Z80-derived microcontrollers, which are bringing in enough cash that Zilog feels ready to file for an initial public share offer valuing the company at from $90m to $108m.
