Applications
One application of a PLA is to implement the control over a datapath. It defines various states in an instruction set, and produces the next state (by conditional branching). . Programmable logic arrays should correspond to a state diagram for the system.
Other commonly used programmable logic devices are PAL, CPLD and FPGA.
Note that the use of the word "programmable" does not indicate that all PLAs are field-programmable; in fact many are mask-programmed during manufacture in the same manner as a mask ROM. This is particularly true of PLAs that are embedded in more complex and numerous integrated circuits such as microprocessors. PLAs that can be programmed after manufacture are called FPGA (Field-programmable gate array), or less frequently FPLA (Field-programmable logic array)..
The Commodore 64 home computer released in 1982 used a "906114-01 PLA" to handle system signals.
Read more about this topic: Programmable Logic Array