Atmel

-- EDN, 8/17/2000

Atmel specializes in both industry-standard devices and backward-compatible supersets of common PALs and CPLDs. The vendor's 16V8, 20V8, and 22V10 parts come in multiple power, voltage, and package variants. If you need to squeeze additional logic into a 22V10 pinout, consider the ATF750; the ATV2500B delivers even more logic capacity in a 44-pin footprint.

With the ATF1500 series (Picture), Atmel has Altera's Max 7000 architecture in the bull's eye. By beefing up both the number of inputs (40) into each logic block and the global-routing switch matrix, the vendor claims that this series can handle designs that wouldn't fit in competitors' devices with comparable macrocell counts. Enhanced connectivity also means that you can more easily maintain your creation's pinout and performance through multiple design iterations.

Other ATF1500 features include in-system programming, individual I/O-buffer selection, enable capability, optional latch modes for the macrocell flip-flops, independent combinatorial and registered options for macrocell outputs and feedback terms, and three global clock inputs. Atmel offers conversion tools that automatically migrate designs originally targeting other vendors' architectures. The company also provides design-software options that support ABEL-, schematic-, and VHDL-synthesis design-entry alternatives.