17 Jun
2009
17 Jun
'09
6:35 p.m.
bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca wrote:
I plan to do a computer in CPLD's but I plan to start with just a
front panel
and some CPLD's , a clock and some memory ... then later I can add
a second board with I/O. This way I can start small and progress in
stages.
It maybe because I'm mostly a hardware grunt/gearhead. See, I think a
good example of experiencing vintage hardware design is using some of
the first PAL's from MMI that came out near the end of the 70's. The
programmers that we had weren't that smart as they are today - no
synthesis, fitters, or floorplanners then. After you designed the logic,
you had to chart the fuses that you had to pop on a diagram resembling
the component. All there was on the screen of the programmer was the
same logic diagram and you individually configure the fuses you needed
to pop, and then your PAL was programmed. Now try and see if that will
test your patience after a dozen PALs :)
I would like to find one of those programmers someday.
=Dan
[ = http://www2.applegate.org/~ragooman/ ]