Digital Structures

Higher education teachers: Kotnik Tadej

Subject description

Prerequisites:

• A prerequisite for attending the course is the enrollment into the 2nd year of the 1st cycle academic study programme Electrical Engineering.

Content (Syllabus outline):

• Number systems and codes: number systems, codes, encoding, error detection and correction.
• Boolean algebra: propositional logic, Boolean variables, basic operations, derived operations, axioms and theorems, proofs of theorems.
• Boolean functions and logic gates: representa-tions, methods of simplification and conversion, Karnaugh map and truth table, logic gates and circuits, functionally complete sets of operations, timing hazards, logic families and technologies and their characteristics, CMOS technology.
• Combinational logic circuits: encoders and decoders, multiplexers and demultiplexers, comparators, adders, multipliers, arithmetic-and-logic units.
• Computer-aided digital design: minimizers, schematic editors, circuit simulators, hardware description languages, PCB layout designers,
• IC layout designers.
• Sequential logic circuits: latches and flip-flops, truth table and excitation table, switch debouncers, registers, counters, shift registers, ring counters, excitation equations, state table and state diagram, analysis and synthesis of sequential logic circuits.
• Three-state buffers and buses: buffer, Schmitt-trigger buffers, three-state buffers, serial buses, parallel buses.
• Programmable logic circuits: storage matrix, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash, PLA, PAL, GAL, SRAM, DRAM, CPLD, FPGA. Use of hardware description languages for implementation of combinational and sequential logic in CPLD and FPGA circuits
• Additional topics (in case of spare time, but not required in exams): microcontrollers, microprocessors, analog-digital and digital-analog converters, clock generators.

Objectives and competences:

• To gain the basic theoretical understanding of functioning of digital structures.
• To acquire the knowledge and basic experience of practical design, implementation and testing of digital structures.

Intended learning outcomes:

• Knowledge and understanding: The students will gain the basic understanding of the functioning of combinational and sequential digital logic. They will be able to analyze their operations, describe them in one of the hardware description languages, design logic circuits and test them. They will also gain the basic knowledge of digital design with modern computer-aided methods.
• Application: Independent analysis, design, abstract and structural synthesis, testing and construction of digital structures using classical and modern methods and tools.
• Reflection: The students will be able to evaluate and choose the most suitable technology and design of a digital logic system with regard to the requirements of complexity, cost efficiency, and reliability.
• Transferrable skills: Ability to individually analyze functioning of digital logic systems; ability to individually design, synthesize on the abstract and structural level, as well as test prototypes of digital systems; knowledge and basic experience with modern computer-aided methods for design, analysis and simulation of digital logic systems

Learning and teaching methods:

• Lecture classes with examples of problem solving to illustrate the theoretical concepts, laboratory work for acquisition of practical skills in design, implementation and testing of digital logic circuits.

Study materials

1. J. F. Wakerly. Digital Design: Principles and Practices, 4th ed. Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006.
2. M. Morris Mano, M. D. Ciletti. Digital Design, 4th ed. Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2007.
3. W. Kleitz. Digital Electronics, 9th ed. Pearson, 2012.
4. C. Maxfield. Bebop to the Boolean Boogie, 3rd ed. Newnes, 2009.
5. G. Pucihar, T. Kotnik. Digitalne strukture: Zbirka rešenih nalog. Založba FE in FRI, 2011.