🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec28.023739.9176@softwords.bc.ca> jmacphai@cue.bc.ca (James MacPhail) writes:
>Is there a Lattice Semiconductor engineer or e-mail address
>here-abouts? I'm looking for the answers to the following:
>
>What's the difference between a GAL16V8 and a GAL16V8A?
>
16v8  = 1st design
16v8a = product terms added to allow feedback paths in simple mode
16v8b = added pullups to all pins
16v8A-QP = quarter power 16v8a design

>What are the product term disable fuses useful for?
>(Other than the obvious... why are these in the architecture?
>do they alter the speed/power dissipation?)
>
YES!! They alter the power usage. Bingo. However I have yet to see a 
programmer & software package that allows you to set these. Apparently
the bottleneck is in the programmer, but I can't see why exactly.

>Why is the architecture configuration still accessible after
>programming the security fuse? It seems to me that this saves
>a few hours for the buggers off-shore (or on-shore!) that are going
>to reverse engineer my product!
Modern programmers have built-in algorithms to detect what
if the type of device you plugged-in matches the device you selected.
This is sometimes important to prevent damage to both device and
programmer.

The only time I can see this to be of significance is when you include
test vectors in your download to the programmer.

>And finally... why is the 16V8 so much cheaper than the 22V10? 
>A factor of two seems reasonable to me, but 4-6x seems excessive.
>I've been putting in two 16V8s instead of a 22V10 in most cases,
>and am happy to continue to do so, but it seems to me that there
>would be more profit for Lattice if the 22V10 came down some.
16V8 production volumes are much higher.

>
>Thanks for your time...
>
>James MacPhail  jmacphai@cue.bc.ca  james@mirg2.phy.queensu.ca

Call 1-800-fast-gal for GAL info. They usually have an engineer
type you can talk to within minutes.

Strangely, I just knew most of thes of the top of my head, and I'm
*not* associated with lattice.


-- 
Alex P. Novickis, Real Time systems demi-guru.  (W)   408-862-4541
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