Synopses & Reviews
As an elementary digital design text or refresher for practicing engineers, this book covers number systems, Boolean algebra, combinational design, circuit minimization, complex circuits, and sequential design. It addresses the mathematical and logical underpinnings of digital design while at the same time showing readers how to construct complex circuits from simpler building blocks. Each chapter is accompanied by a software module designed to dynamically illustrate the concepts in the text. Experimentation in the modules is encouraged, and in all cases, the software offers dynamic and immediate feedback so that any of the user?s mistakes can be easily and quickly detected. The final chapter is devoted to the application of these designs in novel creations such as robots and other intelligent machines. The book also covers the aesthetics of digital design as a method of creating efficient models. This text is a uniquely engaging and interactive complement to the lectures and problem sets of any digital design course.
Synopsis
This book is a comprehensive introduction to the science and art of designing digital circuits. It begins by describing two foundational topics, numbers systems and boolean algebra. These topics then form the basis for the introduction of simple combinational circuits, or circuits without a memory. Complex circuits of this form are then described. It is shown, for example, how to construct a carry-look-ahead adder from elementary logic gates. Sequential digital circuits, or circuits with memories, are then treated, with the emphasis on sequential design. These topics then allow the introduction of a simple but operational digital computer that includes an arithmetic logic unit (ALU). The book concludes by showing that many of the principles developed in earlier chapters can be applied to the construction of intelligent machines.
About the Author
BRUCE KATZ received his B.A. in philosophy from Duke University in 1981 and his Ph.D. in artificial intelligence in 1990. Between 1990 and 1998 he was a lecturer in artificial intelligence at the University of Sussex in the U.K and is currently a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University. He conducts research on the perception of beauty in man and machine. Mr. Chartrand holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Queen¿s university in Kingston Ontario. He has been teaching digital courses for 20 years at Niagara College in Welland , Ontario. Mr. Chartrand has made industry contributions with various designs including interfacing an infrared camera to a PC, creating a digital circuit board used as a PC training system, and designing a control pendant for an air-filled medical bed. He also worked as a plant engineer for General Motors.
Table of Contents
Preface Chapter 1 Numbers and Number Systems Chapter 2 Boolean Algebra Chapter 3 Elementary Combinational Circuits Chapter 4 Complex Combinational Circuits Chapter 5 Elements of Sequential Design Chapter 6 Sequential Machines Chapter 7 Elements of Computer Design Chapter 8 The Design of a Simple CPU and Computer Chapter 9 Explorations in Digital Intellligence Appendix The LATTICE System Index