You can trip over licensing problems with ABEL, which was a DATA I/O (Major programmer mfg) product, and CUPL, which was a product of Logical Devices, another programmer mfg.

I got a copy of CUPL with an early promotion for Lattice SPLD's (GAL's) and was not impressed.

ABEL is a very powerful tool, but was always too expensive for me, considering that PALASM was freeware, happily provided by every FAE for AMD, and considering that, if AMD didn't produce the PLD, either as primary or second source, it probably shouldn't be used in a design for production.

One issue with PALASM is finding documentation. As with most useful tools, it helps to read the directions. Without them, you're in trouble. I've never encountered a machine-readable, web-accessible version of the manual. Perhaps I'll scan a manual some day ... <sigh> ... yet another project I'll probably never get done ...

One thing worthy of mention is that, properly installed, the software has a built in manual in three sections, including a searchable database.

RE