No ... I know of no high-density-packaged 8255 versions. I didn't like the 8255 back in the '70's, and I like it even less now. I do have to deal with it from time to time, since some of the products I put in place in the '70's are still being used.

I don't usually order PCB's, since my primary business is proof-of-concept. When I do it's a board with few components, lots of holes (prototyping area) on a flowed power/gnd plane on opposing sides, maybe with a few connectors, supply bypass, and typically double eurocard form factor. I require dry-film solder mask because silkscreened solder mask can't be placed with sufficient accuracy and can't be removed as easily when one wishes to tack to the power or gnd plane in the proto area. Vias have to be as small as 4 mils within an 8 mil ring and tracks have to be on the order of 4 mils, else one can't escape from a fine-pitch plastic BGA. That, BTW, requires 6 layers, at a minimum, when the FPGA has upwards of 1K contacts.

When I need such devices, however, I prefer to use adapters, which are a major pain in the *ss, but the only reasonable way I've found to get there. Fortunately, the programmable devices I tend to prefer because of their voltage levels are available in leaded SMT packaging. These adapters can be made in China for a small fraction of what US vendors demand, and that includes freight, which means I get them much sooner than I would from a US vendor, too.

Even the simple 2-layer boards I routinely use, and which I'll be having made again within the next few months, have too many holes for most houses to want to make 'em for $13 each.

100 GBP sounds about right for what you describe. There's one board about like that which I've been using since the early '80's, that's pretty useful. It does have a 5/32"-pitch 44-pin connector on one edge, which means gold-plating, and it is 4.5"x6", nominally, with dry-film solder mask on both sides, so that means ~2700 .041" plated-through holes, relieved from a flowed plane with 0.005" rings. When I bought them last, they cost about $13 each at q100. I doubt they'll be that "reasonable" this time if I try to have them made in the US.

RE