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From: phil@amd70.UUCP (Phil Ngai)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re:PAL 32R16 and CMOS
Message-ID: <4681@amd70.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-May-84 14:58:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: amd70.4681
Posted: Mon May 28 14:58:17 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jun-84 01:07:32 EDT
References: <2592@ecsvax.UUCP>
Organization: AMD, Santa Clara, CA
Lines: 28

> First of all, the 32R16 DOES have some applications. Granted, not as many as
> the 16R8, but for the same reason as a 27256 is not needed as much as the
> 2716- bigger is not always better, but it can sometimes come in handy.

I think there are some problems with your analogy. 2716s are obsolete and
it's not wise to design them in. In the EPROM market, things move so fast
that at AMD, 2764s are officially obsolete (but 2764As are still good).
The price of 2764s is down in the dirt and 27256s soon will be. The pinout
and functionality is obvious up to the 27512 level so there are many second
sources, the yields are high, and therefore it makes sense to use a 2764
when a 2716 would have been enough.

The PAL market is not as neat as the EPROM market. Everyone seems to be
inventing their own architecture and no one wants to second source anyone
else's. The yields don't seem to be as good on the new complex parts,
hopefully this will change but EPROMs are inherently simple devices while
PALs aren't as simple. So I claim the big PALs coming out will see a less
steep price decline than 27256s.

>  The 32R16, for all its faults, can do things that 4-5 16R8s can't due to the
> larger OR plane groupings. And not everyone needs 30  ns prop delay. AND-
> if one chip will take the place of 4-5, I'll pay $50 each in most cases.

Well, I wouldn't pay $50 for $12 worth of functionality in almost the same
amount of board space that is single sourced. Do they really let you design
in single sourced products? I wouldn't even if I were allowed to.
-- 
Phil Ngai (408) 749-5286 {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amd70!phil