Lattice 16V8 pld

[trekiej]

This may be a funny question, since I bought the chip.
I have a 16V8 chip and a universal programmer.  I am wondering what the options are for creating circuits for it.  Would Xilinx free download software work?

Thanks.

[Schoenfeld]

AFAIK, Xilinx never made PAL and GAL chips. I have always used AMD's PalASM, which produces GAL Jedec files if you choose "PALCE16V8" as the chip type.

PalAsm is a DOS software and does NOT run properly in the DOS window of win9x or Win2k. When AMD sold it's programmable logic division to Lattice, they did not continue the software.

I have lost my copy of PalAsm in a harddrive crash about a year ago, but I might have an old AMD developer CD with a copy of MachXL and PalAsm.

The Commodore people used Cupl if I remember right - just to give you some keywords to search in file sharing networks.

Prepare to use an old DOS machine, because the chip is totally outdated. If you want to enter the world of programmable logic, you might want to look into the 8BitBaby - a high-quality prototyping board with connectors for four popular 8-bit computers and a socket for a 64-macrocell CPLD by Altera (8 times the capacity of the 16V8 chip). No need for a programmer, because the chip is in-system-programmable.

good luck,
Jens Schönfeld

[trekiej]

Thanks.
I wonder if Verilog or HDL would work.  I guess I need to talk to Lattice.  They seem to have expensive tools.
Rick.

[jkonstan]

You can download Lattice ISP lever starter version from Lattice semiconductor web site for free.
 
http://www.latticesemi.com/products/designsoftware/isplever/ispleverstarter/index.cfm

It still supports the GAL16V8, and you can use Verilog or VHDL. However, you are limited in what you can do in a 16macrocell GAL.

 :-)

[trekiej]

Thanks.  My modem can not handle it or I do not have the patience. :-D
Atmel has WinCPL at 20 MB for free.  I will download at school.
I am a bit new to cpld/spld.  I wonder how may gates that would translate into.

  I have found Spartan3 dev. boards for less than a 100.00US.  

Rick.

[Oli_hd]

you could download Galler from Aminet, its small and you can even make a programmer yourself, specially for your miggy.
It also exports jedec files so you can burn them on your programmer if you wanted.
I have just started playing with Gals too, before I was using the Xilinx 95 range of CPLD's.
After GAL's is Valves

I am a bit new to cpld/spld. I wonder how may gates that would translate into.

Oh and I used 72 microcell CPLD's (9572) which have 1,600 usable gates.

[hardlink]

Schoenfeld wrote:

PalAsm is a DOS software and does NOT run properly in the DOS window of win9x or Win2k.

But PalAsm might run under DOS emulation on an Amiga using PC Task or the earlier CrossPC that came with CrossDOS. It's a small chip to program for, who cares how long it takes to run

I have lost my copy of PalAsm in a harddrive crash about a year ago,

You, of all people, also have hardware problems?

[trekiej]

Xilinx has a cpld board for 49.95US.
 

[jkonstan]

For CPLDs, The Xilinx CoolrunnerII CPLD development boards are nice to start learning on. For FPGAs, The Xilinx Spartan3 & Spartan3e development boards are also good development boards to work with as well (@$150 US dollars). You just have to figure out if you want to learn Verilog, VHDL, or both. In the past, I had used most of the old PAL/GAL development languages  
 such as Abel and Palasm; and these are largely unsupported (almost like learning to speak Latin) today except for some Abel translation in Lattice ISP lever and Xilinx ISE.

:-)

[mrmkl]

Abel is supported by Xilinx's Windows version only (of the free Webpack.) I have learned and used Abel, because that was the supported language in the early free versions of the design software by Lattice Semiconductor. Verilog and VHDL have become supported later, but the pay-versions propably had larger support much earlier.
You can use emulators to run old software. :idea: I have VMWare on linux to run NT4.0. :crazy:

[bobamu]

currently I'm running xp on virtualpc on xp

I wonder if I can install virtual pc on the xp on virtual pc and install xp on xp on xp  :crazy: :-o

also, a quick google for palasm brings up loads of stuff, so there's plenty of it out there

[mrmkl]

edit: nothing

[trekiej]

Digilent Inc has cheaper boards.
They have a Spartan board for 59.00 US.
www.digilentinc.com

[trekiej]

Anyone care to talk about any projects past, present, or future?
I hope to design my own computer.  Maybe it will run Amiga OS on it.
 :-?

I think the retro market would be my first start.

What do you think it would take to become a fabless semiconductor company?

Later.