0 1 2 n-2 n-1 0 1 2 m-2 m-1: Voltage 5.0 (Volts) 2.4 2.0 0.8 0.4 0 Output Input
0 1 2 n-2 n-1 0 1 2 m-2 m-1: Voltage 5.0 (Volts) 2.4 2.0 0.8 0.4 0 Output Input
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Digital Systems
x0
x1
x2
xn-2
xn-1
n-input, m-output
digital (binary)
system
y0
y1
y2
voltage 5.0
(volts)
2.4
2.0
ym-2
ym-1
0.8
0.4
0
Output Input
1.2
Truth Table
A digital system in a much smaller scale is called a digital or logic circuit. The
function or behavior of a digital circuit can be specified in various forms, such as a
statement, a mathematical expression, a symbolic form called a circuit diagram, or in
tabular form. Truth table is a tabular representation for a digital circuit. Table 1.1 is the
format of a truth table for a circuit with n inputs and m outputs. A truth table lists all the
possible combinations of the input values and their corresponding output values that are
determined by the function of the circuit. Since each input can take on a value of either 0
or 1, there are 2n different combinations of values for the n inputs. Each combination of
input values is also called an input state. The truth table for a 3-input and 2-output circuit
as shown in Figure 1.3 is given in Table 1.2. The value of y1 is equal to 1 when two or
three of the inputs are equal to 1. The value of y0 is equal to 1 when an odd number of the
inputs are equal to 1. Thus y1 and y0 are called majority function and odd parity function
respectively.
Table 1.1 Truth table for a binary system with n inputs and m outputs.
Inputs
xn-1 xn-2 xn-3 x2 x1 x0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 .. 0 0
0 0 .. 0 0
0 0 .. 0 1
0 0 .. 0 1
0 0 .. 1 0
..
..
..
1 1 .. 0 1
1 1 .. 1 0
1 1 .. 1 0
1 1 .. 1 1
1 1 .. 1 1
1
1
1
1
1
x2
x1
x0
Outputs
ym-1 ym-2 ym-3 y2 y1 y0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
Table 1.2 Truth table for the
circuit in Figure 1.3.
x2 x1 x0
y1 y0
0 0 0
0 0
0 0 1
0 1
0 1 0
0 1
0 1 1
1 0
1 0 0
0 1
1 0 1
1 0
1 1 0
1 0
1 1 1
1 1
y0
y1
1.3
There are two types of digital circuits: combinational and sequential. The outputs
of a combinational circuit are functions of present inputs. Past inputs to the circuit have
no effect on the outputs. The basic elements for implementing combinational circuits are
called gates. For sequential circuits, their outputs depend not only on present inputs but
also on past inputs. Therefore a memory is required to store information related to past
inputs. The structure of sequential circuits is given in Figure 1.4, which includes a
combinational circuit and a memory. Sequential circuits can be divided into two classes:
synchronous and asynchronous. Only synchronous sequential circuits are covered in this
manuscript except the SR latch in Chapter 9. The memory elements for synchronous
sequential circuits are flip-flops, which are controlled by a clock.
Sequential circuit
Inputs
Combinational
Circuit
Memory
Outputs