Six Ways to Replace a Microcontroller With a CPLD

This white paper discusses when it is advantageous to use a CPLD instead of a microcontroller, and when a CPLD makes a good companion to a microcontroller. The examples given in this white paper are grouped into three categories, based on their function and level of complexity. The first category is I/O management, focusing on pin-level applications. The second category is port management, with the emphasis on the various interfaces between devices. The third category is system management, for applications that use a pin or port to control system-level functions.