Newbie interested in programmable logic

[stevelocher25]

I want to learn programmable logic in order to simplify my PCB designs and bring costs down if I end up making multiple boards. Also, less soldering would be nice, as well as less board space. I'm just a home hobbyist with hundreds of logic chips and a couple dozen breadboards.

Some of my projects are getting complex; one for example has 6 counters, 3 binary adders, 2 quadrature decoders, and a dozen or so of various logic chips (and, or, nand and such).

So, instead of having for example, 20 or so logic chips on a board, couldn't I find some kind of PLD to replace them all? 1 chip to do the work of 20?

But which one would be best?

I usually power the circuits with regulated 5v, 1 amp supply. 3.3v would work, except the output would be driving many LED's and some small incandescent lights (1.5v 15mA lamps).......maybe have output to an optoisolator that lets a separate powersupply run the LEDs and lamps?

I don't mind some kind of "one time programmable"....I know I will ruin the first few of them through trial and error, but once I get it working, this would be fine. So, it doesn't really need to be re-programmable. Although, re-programmable could be a benefit later, with design upgrades, etc.

Most critical is that it can not lose its program on power off.

I don't know where to go for advice, looked at many forums, but they are beyond my experience level with this subject.

 

[srizbf]

for learning plds , i recommend the following sites:

**broken link removed**

and

How Programmable Logic Works | Netrino

 

[lockman_akim]

i have read about PLD..n i undersdtand it a little bit..
can some one do a comparison btween Micro-controller and PLD..
who is the latest technology? micro-controller or PLD?

---------- Post added at 18:08 ---------- Previous post was at 18:04 ----------

what is the hadware and software if i want to start PLD?

 

[srizbf]

plds are very old.
microcontrollers came after.

uc(microcontroller) is software approach for system design.
plds are basically hw.

for learning plds , the link i gave in previous post is a good starting point.

though many plds are available ,
a good start is to use 'pal' type plds.

for using pals , you have to write your boolean equations and assemble it using a pal assembler.

the assembler produces many files . one of them is the
data about 'fuse' of pal.
it is called 'jedec ' file.
use jedec to program the pal using a 'programmer'

some commercial programmer can program 'pals'.

 

[subir.2006]

Now low cost CPLD/FPGA development boards available at low cost, u can use them easily if u have

 

[lockman_akim]

Now low cost CPLD/FPGA development boards available at low cost, u can use them easily if u have

can u suggest me one...give some link..