Xref: utzoo comp.lsi:1140 comp.lsi.cad:579 sci.electronics:13395 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!van-bc!mdivax1!moss Newsgroups: comp.lsi,comp.lsi.cad,sci.electronics Subject: Re: no PALASM90 on workstations Keywords: PAL PALASM AMD Message-ID: <1990Aug7.162347.1597@mdivax1.uucp> Date: 7 Aug 90 16:23:47 GMT References: <833@hls0.hls.oz> <1990Aug5.070528.4522@amd.com> <1990Aug5.161336.18508@ameristar> <1990Aug6.004614.24315@amd.com> Reply-To: mdivax1!moss (Barry Moss) Organization: Mobile Data International, Richmond, B.C., Canada Lines: 41 Return-Path: Apparently-To: van-bc!rnews This article is a follow-up to posts by Phil Ngai and Rick Spanbauer discussing why AMD's PALASM is not available on Sun workstations and runs only under MS-DOS. As technology leader for PLDs, FPGAs and ASICs at Mobile Data (approx. 900 employees world wide) I thought that I would add my two bits to this discussion. 1. Why do companies like AMD write and sell programs like PALASM? Usually when a semiconductor manufacturer starts getting into software, its to provide a way for their customers to start using their products. As an example, almost all of the FPGA manufacturers (Actel, Altera, Plus Logic, Plessey, Xilinx, etc.) offer some sort of software support for their products; otherwise the engineers would probably not try using their products. The large majority of engineers have access to a PC compatible computer, so this is the primary base that the semi manufacturers will support. 2. Why do I want software tools that will run on my Sun workstation? Well, every hardware designer at MDI has a Sun 3 workstation on his or her desk. The only PC's we have in engineering are a few lab machines for running emulators. So why should I try to justify a) requisitioning another computer to further clutter my desk (Management: You want a Sun and a PC!!!!) or b) try to schedule time on one of the lab PCs? As we've told a number of vendors recently, if you want us to use your parts we need tools (not necessarily free) which will run on Sun workstations. Interestingly enough, most of the FPGA vendors have announced they will have Sun compatible versions of their software. Some of them will even link up with our CAD system (Valid Logic)! 3. What do Sun users do for support to design PALs, etc? Well, if you have enough money to buy a Sun, then you should be prepared to pay for a commercial PLD design package (like ABEL or Minc) which runs on a Sun. Of cource, if some of the PLD/FPGA vendors start to realize that they are losing business by not providing support for the Sun or other workdstations, then maybe they will reconsider their PCs only position Barry Moss Design Engineer