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From: mzenier@polari.UUCP (Mark Zenier)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Programing a PAL/GAL/etc.
Keywords: Programming  PAL GAL
Message-ID: <3763@polari.UUCP>
Date: 14 Apr 91 20:50:53 GMT
References: <3810@inews.intel.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: Seattle Online Public Unix (206) 328-4944
Lines: 49

In <3810@inews.intel.com> khouglan@pima.intel.com (Kriss Hougland~) writes:

  (Hmmm..., Intel makes PLDs.)
>I have looked for information on programming, but I can not find a bit of
>information on how the program the things.  I am looking at cutting down my 
>part count with a PAL or GAL or PLA or ...

The chip manufacturers decided that 1) They could make money selling PLD
software and programmers (The Altera method) or 2) they could lower
their cost of support by restricting the programming algorithms to
"legitimate" programmer manufactures.  That way if the programmed parts
aren't working, the field support people don't end up debugging 
everyone's homebrew programmer.  (There is at least one exeption, see 
below).

>I don't have a programmer for anything besides and Eprom programer.
>1) Should I give up all hopes of getting solution #2 or #3 to work?
>2) Can I convert my eprom programmer to a more generic programmer?
>3) Find plans for a programmer and build one.  (less than a $500 programmer).

Resources.

Cypress Semiconductor  "Bicmos/Cmos Data Book", 1990
(The only CMOS PLD algorithms I've been able to dig up)

Electronics & Wireless World, February 1989, "EPLD programmer design"
(A programmer for some Cypress parts)

Popular Electronics, January 1990, "Create Your Own IC's"
(A keyboard driven PEEL (ICT/Gould/...) programmer kit for $99)

"Desiging with Programmable Array Logic", Monolithic Memories , 
McGraw-Hill 1981  (The MMI/National/TI(?) bipolar part programming algorithms)

Byte, January 1987 - Special Issue on Programmable Hardware.  
(A bipolar progammer project and discussion of parts)

Texas Instruments, "The TTL Data Book, Volume 4", 1985
(Bipolar programming algorithms)

Advanced Micro Devices, "Programmable Array Logic", 1983
(Amd's bipolar algorithms, which are different from MMI's.
This is confusing because AMD bought/merged with MMI since then.
Judging from the Maximum voltage rating given in the current AMD
PAL Devices Databook, these algorithms may be obselete.)

Mark Zenier  markz@ssc.uucp  mzenier@polari.uucp

(PAL is a registered trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)