🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Sep9.200458.8595@adobe.com>, pngai@adobe.com (Phil Ngai) says:
>

I would assume that this post is a reply to mine...

>Would you program an Intel EPROM with a Toshiba algorithm?

Not really if I know my chip is an Intel.  I haven't seen the Toshiba
algorithm for EPROM, but I do know that NS programming algorithm is
significantly different.  They use 6.25V 100uS pulses and no overpulse.
Programming a chip other than the recommended parameters from the
manufacturer might cause prematured aging and might overstress the
chip itself causing reliability problems in the long run.

BTW a lot of the EPROM chips have the manufacturer ID as well as
the product ID.  This tells any good programmer the type of
algorithm to use.  (My homebrew programmer does that, but none of
the PD/magnezine even mentioned it.)

>What if Toshiba had trademarked "EPROM", would that make
>any difference?

What about Intel's FLASH (TM).  It is some sort of field programmable
ROM that follows the similar pin out, but can be reprogramed without
the need for UV.  Would you program it blindly the same way as
Toshiba's EPROM ?  What about battery backed SRAM ?  FRAM ?

A trademark identifies a line of products so that it won't be confused
with something similar.  I mean is there any difference between

  PAL16V8     (one-time programmable, fuse based, AMD)
  GAL16V8     (EEPROM based, erasable, Lattice)
  ispGAL16V8  (EEPROM based, but with 4 extra pins for in system
               programming, Lattice)

 There is also a CMOS EPROM based chip that has to be erased by UV.

Once the chips are programmed, they are pretty much the same.  The
difference is the process they are maded.  This affects the programming
parameters, interfaces and whether or not they can be reprogrammed.

I can't just go into a store and ask for 16V8 and expect the product
I wanted.  On the other hand I did specify GAL16V8 and got PALCE16V8.
I could have asked my Credit Card company to cancel payment as I
didn't get what I specified.  a Cyrus 486 is the same as an Intel 486?
(Cyrus 486 is sort of stripped down Intel 486 workalike in a 386 pin out.)

>What's your definition of GAL anyway?

GAL(TM) stands for Generic Array Logic.  Trademarked by Lattice and
second sourced by National Semiconductor and SGS-Thomas (sp?).
The GAL prefix is marked implictly on the chip and is the prefix part
of the part#.

PALCE(TM) by AMD and their chip has PALCE as the prefix part of their
part number.

Any of the companies can sue if their competitor put on their
trademark to confuse the comsumer.  Intel did that to AMD, but 386
the number cannot be tradmarked.  On the other hand, OverDrive, FastCad
etc can be.

>My opinions are my own.

Vote for Murphy Brown !!

K. C. Lee
Elec. Eng. Grad. Student (in a place called Canada...)

PAL, PALCE: tradmarked by AMD.
GAL, ispGAL: trademarked by Lattice
OverDrive, FastCad: Trademarked by Intel