For the evaluation board MCBx51, a GAL is used to do some combinatorial logic. I could read somewhere that palasm4 of AMD has been used to 'compile' this. A search on the internet gave me the idea that this is a very old compiler (can I say it like this?). It looks like it's an "early 90's" program (I saw many times release 1.5a from '92). However, I couldn't find the program itself. Does anyone know if that still can be downloaded somewhere and if some info is available? Reason for asking: I want to understand a bit the programming syntax of such device and try to experiment with it. Best rgds, --Geert
"A search on the internet gave me the idea that this is a very old compiler" Very old indeed, and very obsolete! "Reason for asking: I want to understand a bit the programming syntax of such device and try to experiment with it." In that case, get a current evaluation board from a current programmable logic vendor. If you're just starting out, there seems no point in learning an outdated, obsolete product from a company that left the market years ago!
If you're just starting out, there seems no point in learning an outdated, obsolete product from a company that left the market years ago! That's clear, Andy! Thanks for the info. Best rgds, --Geert
I use the Lattice package but it's not freeware. I used (C)PLDs till a year or so ago, I used Lattice software and never paid a dime. I do believe that there are some "enhancements" (which I did not need using thousands of macrocells) they charge for. However the event of SILabs 8 port devices and sub $1 LPC devices has made me totally abandon the (C)PLDs and use uC clusters instead. You can make such beautiful code separation when one job one processor is enforced. Erik
Erik; I agree 100%, but Geert said he wanted to study the PAL equations on the MCBx eval board. Lattice with JTAG is still my first choice. Bradford
There's always the uPSDs with an 8051 and some programmable logic all on one chip. http://www.keil.com/dd/cl/STMicroelectronics/8051.htm The Zylogic ZE5 (nee Triscend E5) have loadsa programmable logic, although the FastChip software hides the details of the code... http://www.keil.com/dd/cl/Zylogic/8051.htm
There's always the uPSDs with an 8051 and some programmable logic all on one chip. http://www.keil.com/dd/cl/STMicroelectronics/8051.htm The Zylogic ZE5 (nee Triscend E5) have loadsa programmable logic, although the FastChip software hides the details of the code... http://www.keil.com/dd/cl/Zylogic/8051.htm This is no fun anymore!!! Whenever someone is pointing at a very interesting device (thanks Andy!), your enthousiasm is cooled down below 0 (degrees Kelvin, if possible) when you see there's almost nothing else anymore but TQFP's. Those things are not to handle anymore, if you want to play a bit with electronics as a non- or small professional! How do you guys out there handle those 'damned things'? Soldering by hand, while shivering and shaking? I'm just curious... Where are the good old days where you really still could "firmly grip" the devices? All long gone... No decent person anymore that can solder such devices on a prototype PCB. You almost sure need machinery to do this. Is this a first "sign of the time", indicating to stop a certain (sometimes high) level of hobbyism??? Am I becoming 'old'? Best rgds, --Geert
"there's almost nothing else anymore but TQFP's." It's all just a ploy to ensure that you have to buy a devkit! ;-)
Where are the good old days where you really still could "firmly grip" the devices? All long gone... Where are the good old days where devices were so slow that length of interconnect did not matter? - same thing. No decent person anymore that can solder such devices on a prototype PCB. You almost sure need machinery to do this. Are you saying that my technician is not a decent person ? Is this a first "sign of the time", indicating to stop a certain (sometimes high) level of hobbyism??? Am I becoming 'old'? Many "hobbyists" succeed in soldering tqfp. The darn thing is that the older y(our eyes) get, the smaller the chips becomes. Thank heaven for young technicians. Erik
Are you saying that my technician is not a decent person ? Don't know your technician, so I can't judge about this... ;-) Thank heaven for young technicians. Especially if they're of the opposite sex!!! ;-) Best rgds, --Geert
PALASM seems to be available at: http://www.engr.uky.edu/~melham01/ee481/software.htm Reinhard
Thanks for the info, Reinhard, Best rgds, --Geert
The manual in that freebie PALASM is dated (!) 1993. AMD hasn't been in the PAL market for years. Lattice took over AMD's logic subsidiary in 1999: http://www.latticesemi.com/corporate/press/corporate/1999/pr042199.cfm Unless this is for a specific historical interest, don't waste time with it. Here is the current Lattice CPLD product page: http://www.latticesemi.com/products/cpld/index.cfm I think you will find that Lattice, Xilinx, Actel and the like all have a wealth of free learning materials on their websites.
Unless this is for a specific historical interest, don't waste time with it. Hi Andi, It's not really for a historical interest, it's more to know what I have to do if the GAL of the MCBx51 board has to be upgraded for one reason or another. I've seen somewhere on the site of Keil that there is (was?) already an update posted and I just wanted to know what the 'syntax' was that is used in the --indeed-- very old language. But I will definitely not waste my time with this. Best rgds, --Geert