i have not had much time to post an update since i have been fighting a losing battle trying to program my CPLDs.  i have a half dozen Xilinx XC9536 units, and i cannot find a reliable DIY programmer/software solution.  i have a parallel port adapter wired up, but i will need to cannibalize a DB25 cable tomorrow to finish it up.  hopefully this will resolve my issue without requiring a considerable investment and a 3 month lead time on one of the officially supported programmers.