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From: zimmer@calvin.stanford.edu (Andrew Zimmerman)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Programing a PAL/GAL/etc.
Keywords: Programming  PAL GAL
Message-ID: <1991Apr15.002057.14417@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 15 Apr 91 00:20:57 GMT
References: <3810@inews.intel.com> <3763@polari.UUCP>
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In article <3763@polari.UUCP> mzenier@polari.UUCP (Mark Zenier) writes:
>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).
>

    For homebrew projects, you might want to try the ispGAL16Z8 by
Lattice.  It's a PAL with 4 extra pins so that you can program it without
extra voltages.  (the four extra pins are SDin, SDout, Clk and Mode)
Last time I called Lattice, they shipped me a data sheet, a diskette for
an IBM PC and a wiring diagram on how to connect the device to the PC
parallel port.  The diskette not only had a program to do the programming,
but even included the source for the program.
    The hardware needed for the programmer consists of a 5 volt supply
and one 74LS374. 
    (Oh, one thing I forgot to mention, the 16Z8 uses EEPROM for the arrays,
so you don't have to reprogram each time you supply power. :-)

The down side to these devices are
  1.  four extra pins (24 pin device)
  2.  They were about $13.00 each (about 1 year ago) when the 16V8 were
      only $2.00 to $4.00.  (of course, you don't have to buy a programmer)

Their address is
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
5555 N.E. Moore Ct.
Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 U.S.A


Hope this helps,
Andrew
zimmer@calvin.stanford.edu