Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Altera software problems
Message-ID: <1988Dec7.191920.19019@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <5095@lynx.UUCP> <5030011@hpvcla.HP.COM>
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 88 19:19:20 GMT

In article <5030011@hpvcla.HP.COM> johne@hpvcla.HP.COM (John Eaton) writes:
>By that logic companies that make micro's should give away assemblers since
>that will only help sell the hardware...

Some (the smart ones) do, at least a simple assembler.

>I agree with you in that it would be nice to have a basic no frills method
>to enter designs that wouldn't cost you an arm and a leg. Something like
>PALASM2 thhat basiclytranslates your design into a fuse pattern would really
>be nice...

Yup.  I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that datasheets received
from companies that don't do something like this should be thrown in the
garbage on receipt.  Their policy is really infuriating, not to mention 
stupid and shortsighted.  Altera is an obvious example, but Xilinx is even
worse -- they don't even have the excuse that you'd need programming
hardware to zap the chips anyway!  Such neat chips, too...  What a waste.
-- 
SunOSish, adj:  requiring      |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
32-bit bug numbers.            | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu