Programmable Logic Devices

Hey there,

After I finished taking my Digital Electronics course, there's still something I am wondering about. Especially Programmable Logic Devices.

Well, I can't see the real-life application for this one. I know how it works, it's typically manipulating the AND or OR array gates, do some K-map and stuff like that. It's just better than filling up the board with those gates chips.

I thought Microcontrollers are there already? And I rarely heard people using PLDs?

Also, you know about those music thing happened to be present in those toys and greeting cards? Yes, it's a chip, and I'm wondering what is the circuit inside. How could they make music? I searched and searched in the Net but I found it saying 64-note ROM chip.

PLD or more like FPGA designers can implement microcontrollers into the device. They are also useful when you need lots of I/O or speed. You can actually get pentium core designs into an FPGA. Anyone who says FPGA's are useless does not understand them...

Hello, please could anybody suggest books from programming and interfacing PLDs like 16v8 ... ? Thanks

GALS and PALS like the 16v8 are pretty much obsolete these days. You may want to look into starting with CPLD's. Try this link.
**broken link removed**