What Does Programmable Logic Array Mean?
A programmable logic array (PLA) is a type of logic device that can be programmed to implement various kinds of combinational logic circuits. The device has a number of AND and OR gates which are linked together to give output or further combined with more gates or logic circuits.
Techopedia Explains Programmable Logic Array
A programmable logic array is designed such that a number of different logical functions can be combined as a sum-of-product or product-of-sum form. A PLA having N input buffers and M output buffers consists of 2N AND gates and M OR gates, each with programmable inputs from all of the AND gates. PLAs have widely been acknowledged as compact and space-efficient solutions for many complicated circuits, especially in feedback and control systems where a number of factor variables must be involved for efficient functioning of the system.
A programmable logic array should not be confused with Programmable Array Logic (PAL), in which both AND and OR gates are programmable.