In the past Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs) have been something of a closed book to most semi-professional electronics enthusiasts but this hands-on series should go some way to help dispel that myth.Times change. It wasn’t long ago that programmable logic devices (PLDs) were thought to be the preserve of the specialist designer who with the help of expensive development environments and unwieldy software emulators took months to cram large digital designs onto a single PLD. Nowadays the whole process has been simplified to such an extent that the only expensive bit of kit you are likely to need is a PC. An interface adapter is also necessary to connect to the in-circuit programming socket of the CPLD circuit board but its cost is relatively low. When you add to this the fact that the price of the chips themselves have tumbled greatly and the development software is now freely available, these devices start to look attractive even to the hobbyist.