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From: nichols@eola.UCF.EDU
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: JDR Microdevices Programmer
Message-ID: <6900001@eola>
Date: 11 Apr 90 05:17:00 GMT
References: <19387@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Lines: 34
Nf-ID: #R:boulder.Colorado.EDU:-1938700:eola:6900001:000:1464
Nf-From: eola.UCF.EDU!nichols    Apr 11 01:17:00 1990


PALASM is pretty good for a public domain program. The latest version
I know of is 2.23D; it's menu-driven (if you have enough memory), and
is pretty easy to use without documentation.

The PALASM documentation is also free. It comes in the form of two
data books: the "AMD PAL Device Handbook" and the "AMD PAL Device
Data Book." Call your local rep or distributor.

AMD also has a free program called PLPL (Programming Language for
Programmable Logic). It's a higher level language with more constructs
than PALASM, but it doesn't support as many devices.

If you're doing a lot of CAD, you may find OrCad's schematic drawing
package worthwhile ($495). I did! They also sell a package called
"OrCad PLD". I haven't tried it yet, but I would like to mainly
because it's integrated with the rest of OrCad's tools.

Another PLD design language available for free is called "PEEL"
from ICT (International CMOS Technology). ICT makes a line of
Electrically Erasable CMOS PALS that are fast and inexpensive,
with generic "superset" architectures that emulate most popular
PAL devices. Translation software for JEDEC files is included.

On PAL Programmers: I bought the ZAP-A-PAL expansion card for
PC's. It works well, but the manufacturer doesn't always
answer his phone. (The mfgr is Robert Friedman, the guy who
wrote one of the articles in BYTE's special issue on programmable
logic (Jan 87?).)

Hope this helps. Happy (fuse) blowing!

markJ
nichols@eola.ucf.edu