Source: Hack a Day
Article note: Handy. I was contemplating a problem that "throw a tiny parallel PROM or 16v8 at it" seemed like "the right way" the other day and noticing the options had contracted considerably, nice to see them documented.
Do you speak GAL? [Peterzieba] does, and has pulled together a collection of documents and tools so that you can too. There’s a dividing line in electronic engineering education, between those who were taught about FPGAs, and those who weren’t. Blurring that line slightly is gate array logic (GAL). These devices were a preceursor to the FPGA, with a much simpler structure, and usually in those days UV-erasable in the same manner as an EPROM. And oddly enough, they, or at least their successor compatible parts, are still available, and as handy DIP devices that talk to 5 volt logic.
The guide goes into detail about the parts, the terminology surrounding them, and the CUPL language which raises a few memories for us. There are several possible workflows, including for those not faint of heart, the possibility of writing a fusemap by hand. We’re impressed by that one.
If these devices interest you, our colleague Bil Herd wrote a two-part guide (part one, and part two) which should answer your questions.
Thanks [Bjonnh] for the tip!
Featured image: “Commodore Amiga 1000 – sub board – Texas Instruments PAL16L8ACN-0126” by Raimond Spekking
