PLDs surprisingly thrive in downturn

What's PLD?
Short for programmable logic device, a generic term for an integrated circuit that can be programmed in a laboratory to perform complex functions. A PLD consists of arrays of AND and OR gates. A system designer implements a logic design with a device programmer that blows fuses on the PLD to control gate operation.
System designers can use development software that converts basic code into instructions a device programmer needs to implement a design.
PLD types can classified into the following groups
# PROMs (Programmable Read Only Memory) - offer high speed and low cost for relatively small designs
# PLAs (Programmable Logic Array) - offer flexible features for more complex designs # PAL/GALs (Programmable Array Logic/Generic Array Logic) - offer good flexibility and are faster and less expensive than PLAs