A low cost route to EPLDs

For teaching the concepts of programmable logic devices to second year Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree students, access to some form of programmable logic was required. This had to be cheap, easy to program but flexible, with most of the functions of more expensive systems. That is, easy logic design, JEDEC output, test vectors and simulated operation. The solution chosen was to use Programmable Language for Programmable Logic (PLPL) coupled with the Programmable Logic Device (PLD), 22V10 and a standard PLD programmer. This gave an industry standard device and architecture with only a small outlay. The Personal Computers (PCs) and PLD programmer already existed and the software was available under the DTI ECAD initiative. The PLPL software has since been made to work on a PC network. Second year engineering students now produce working designs in 20 hours, having no previous experience of PCs, PLPL or PLDs