Computer Laboratory – Course pages 2011–12: Digital Electronics Skip to content | Access key help Search Advanced search A–Z Contact us Computer Laboratory Computer Laboratory Teaching Courses 2011–12 Digital Electronics Computer Fundamentals Digital Electronics Discrete Mathematics I Foundations of Computer Science Hardware Practical Classes ML under Windows Operating Systems Registration Algorithms I Discrete Mathematics II Floating-Point Computation Object-Oriented Programming Probability Programming in Java Software Design Further Java Briefing Regular Languages and Finite Automata Course pages 2011–12 Digital Electronics Syllabus Course materials Information for supervisors Principal lecturer: Dr Ian Wassell Taken by: Part IA CST Past exam questions Information for supervisors (contact lecturer for access permission) No. of lectures and practical classes: 11 + 7 This course is a prerequisite for Operating Systems and Computer Design (Part IB). Aims The aims of this course are to present the principles of combinational and sequential digital logic design and optimisation at a gate level. The use of transistors for building gates is also introduced. Lectures Introduction. Semiconductors to computers. Logic variables. Examples of simple logic. Logic gates. Boolean algebra. De Morgan’s theorem. Logic minimisation. Truth tables and normal forms. Karnaugh maps. Binary adders. Half adder, full adder, ripple carry adder, fast carry generation. Combinational logic design: further considerations. Multilevel logic. Gate propagation delay. An introduction to timing diagrams. Hazards and hazard elimination. Other ways to implement combinational logic. Introduction to practical classes. Prototyping box. Breadboard and Dual in line (DIL) packages. Wiring. Use of oscilloscope. Sequential logic. Memory elements. RS latch. Transparent D latch. Master-slave D flip-flop. T and JK flip-flops. Setup and hold times. Sequential logic. Counters: Ripple and synchronous. Shift registers. Synchronous State Machines. Moore and Mealy finite state machines (FSMs). Reset and self starting. State transition diagrams. Further state machines. State assignment: sequential, sliding, shift register, one hot. Implementation of FSMs. Circuits. Solving non-linear circuits. Potential divider. N-channel MOSFET. N-MOS inverter. N-MOS logic. CMOS logic. Logic families. Noise margin. [2 lectures] Objectives At the end of the course students should understand the relationships between combination logic and boolean algebra, and between sequential logic and finite state machines; be able to design and minimise combinational logic; appreciate tradeoffs in complexity and speed of combinational designs; understand how state can be stored in a digital logic circuit; know how to design a simple finite state machine from a specification and be able to implement this in gates and edge triggered flip-flops; understand how to use MOS transistors. Recommended reading * Harris, D.M. & Harris, S.L. (2007). Digital design and computer architecture. Morgan Kaufmann. Katz, R.H. (2004). Contemporary logic design. Benjamin/Cummings. The 1994 edition is more than sufficient. Hayes, J.P. (1993). Introduction to digital logic design. Addison-Wesley. Books for reference: Horowitz, P. & Hill, W. (1989). The art of electronics. Cambridge University Press (2nd ed.) (more analog). Weste, N.H.E. & Harris, D. (2005). CMOS VLSI Design - a circuits and systems perspective. Addison-Wesley (3rd ed.). Mead, C. & Conway, L. (1980). Introduction to VLSI systems. Addison-Wesley. Crowe, J. & Hayes-Gill, B. (1998). Introduction to digital electronics. Butterworth-Heinemann. Gibson, J.R. (1992). Electronic logic circuits. Butterworth-Heinemann. © 2011 Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge Information provided by Dr Ian Wassell
