Hello,
I used Google translation to read messages, so I can missunderstood some messages.
However :
- The 8255 is programmable device but don't have any rom/prom/pal or others memories inside it to work (but it has registers).
The "programmable device" is like "configurable device", ie when the power is on, you give it its configuration with commands (which pins in output, input..).
- I think that the problem of 3 chess computers broken can be the battery saver, Cadnica for EAS (perhaps if it's old, can it have a "reversed polarity" and destroy some IO pins ?)

Cordialy.
Mychess