Errors cloning a PLD

[Guest]

We're trying to clone the AMD PALCE16V8Q/4 PLD used on an obsolete board that we've copied (we need spares, and not only has the manufacturer has stopped making it but they have no interest in supporting it either .

I keep getting the following when trying to read the device: "Bad contact at pin(s) 8 of programmed chip." - sometimes other pins are listed too. Same on a second device un-soldered from another board, though different pins cited. When I finally managed to get an error-free read, the buffer seems to be almost entirely '1's which looks wrong too.

Is this due to some copy protection scheme or is there another explanation? I don't really want to have to reverse-engineer the PLD as well as the PCB!

Cheers
Richard

[Dataman (Neil Parker)]

Hello Richard,

Which programmer do you have, as this could be important with that error message.

Would it be possible to paste the data you have been able to read from the device? or email it to me: neil@dataman.com


Regards,

Neil Parker
Dataman Support

[Dataman (Neil Parker)]

Hello,

rpmeek replied to me directly by email so I am following this post up with the outcome:

The user has the Dataman-48Pro+ programmer. The difficulties with poor pin contact are most likely due to solder/flux residue on the pins as the device has been removed from a PCB. It is important to thoroughly clean all pins before attempting to work with a device.

The data that was read from his device looked as follows:

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Created Wed Mar 16 2010 11:59:53 am
Device PALCE16V8Q/4
*
QF2194*
F0*
L000000 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000032 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000064 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000096 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000128 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000160 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000192 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000224 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000256 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000288 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000320 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000352 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000384 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000416 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000448 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000480 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000512 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000544 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000576 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000608 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000640 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000672 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000704 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000736 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000768 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000800 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000832 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000864 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000896 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000928 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000960 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L000992 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001024 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001056 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001088 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001120 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001152 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001184 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001216 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001248 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001280 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001312 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001344 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001376 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001408 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001440 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001472 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001504 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001536 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001568 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001600 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001632 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001664 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001696 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001728 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001760 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001792 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001824 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001856 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001888 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001920 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001952 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L001984 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L002016 11111111111111111111111111111111*
L002048 00000000*
L002056 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000*
L002120 00000000*
L002128 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111*
L002192 00*
C06F8*
0000
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

This is immediately identifiable as a protected device with "1" in every matrix location.

The data or fuse map cannot be read from this device.

I hope this may be of some use to our other users.

Regards

Neil Parker
Dataman Programmers