Course Details

1. Recognise the advantages of digital over analog systems.
2. Manipulate numbers and arithmetic between commonly used number systems.
3. Implement basic circuits using Binary Logic and Gates.
4. Apply Boolean Algebra and simplify Boolean expressions.
5. Analyse, design and simplify Combinational logic Circuits.
6. Analyse simple sequential circuits.

Introductory Digital Concepts: Analogue/Digital systems, definitions, advantages of Digital systems.

Number Systems: Decimal, binary, Sign Magnitude, Hexadecimal, 1’s and 2’s complement calculations.

Boolean Algebra and Logic Simplification: Rules of Boolean Algebra, De Morgan’s theorem, Simplification guidelines and examples.

Logic Gates: OR, AND, NOR, NAND, NOT, XNOR, XOR, Truth table and Boolean expression corresponding to each gate.

Combinational Logic: design of circuits, simplification with the use of K-Maps, SOP, POS design.

Combinational Logic building blocks: Adders, Encoders, Decoders, Comparators.

Sequential logic circuits: Flip-flops.

• Thomas L. Floyd, Digital Fundamentals with VHDL, Prentice Hall, 2003.

• Morris Mano, “Digital Design”, Prentice Hall.,2002.
• Wakerly John, ”Digital Design Principles and Practices” , Prentice Hall, 2001.

The taught part of course is delivered to the students by means of lectures, conducted with the help of computer presentations. Lecture notes and presentations are available through the web for students to use in combination with the textbooks. Lectures are supplemented with laboratory work carried out at the communications laboratory. During laboratory sessions, students perform individual or small group experiments performed with digital boards. Experiments include analysis and simplification of simple digital circuits and analysis of operation of digital combinational and sequential building blocks such as adders, decoders and flip-flops.