Introduction to Digital
Electronics
Digital Electronics
WHAT IS DIGITAL ELECTRONICS?
Digital Electronics is the study of electronic circuits that are
used to process and control digital signals. In contrast to
analog electronics, where information is represented by a
continuously varying voltage, digital signals are
represented by two discrete voltages or logic levels. This
distinction allows for greater signal speed and storage
capabilities and has revolutionized the world of
electronics.
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WHAT IS DIGITAL ELECTRONICS?
Digital electronics is the foundation of all modern electronic
devices such as cellular phones, laptop computers, digital
cameras, high definition televisions, etc.
The major focus of the DE course is to expose students to the
design process of combinational and sequential logic design,
teamwork, communication methods, engineering standards, and
technical documentation.
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WHAT ARE DIGITAL DEVICES?
•
A digital device contains an electrical circuit that uses
discrete (exact) values in its design and function.
•
These discrete values are usually zero’s (0) and one’s (1).
•
You have probably heard of this system of notation
based on only two possible values.
•
What do we call it?
Binary
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WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIGITAL
DEVICES TODAY?
•
Historically, most electronic devices contain analog circuitry.
(Continuously variable signals)
•
Today it is difficult to find an electronic device that does not have
some part of its design that is digital.
•
There are a few major breakthroughs in technology that can be
attributed to the huge number of digital devices we see today.
•
The Transistor (Foundational Component)
•
The Microchip (Size, Speed, Data Storage)
•
CD/DVD/Blue-Ray (Data Storage)
•
Fiber-Optic Cable (Binary Data Transmission)
•
Wireless Technology (Binary Data Transmission)
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WHY ARE DIGITAL DEVICES IMPORTANT?
• Personal computers, smartphones, and
wireless routers are examples of digital
devices.
• When purchasing any of these digital
devices, what are the critical
performance features a customer wants?
• Digital devices and the improvement of
digital designs make these things
possible.
• There are many types of digital circuits
that are all around us.
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WHAT DO ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS DO?
• Electrical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals
with the technology of electricity, especially the design and
application of circuitry and equipment for power generation
and distribution, machine control, and communications.
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WHO WORKS WITH DIGITAL DEVICES?
• Electrical engineers are not the only ones who know about
digital circuits and work with them regularly.
– Technicians
– Programmers
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HOW IS THIS CLASS DIFFERENT?
Some students have studied electricity and circuits in other classes. What
Circuit Design
make this course different?
A scientist asks:
“ What are the laws of nature that make it possible that moving a wire
through a magnetic field will generate an electrical current in the wire?”
An engineer asks:
“ I know that moving a wire through a magnetic field can generate an
electrical current in the wire. How can I use that knowledge to construct
something to address a need?”
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PROGRESSION OF DIGITAL DESIGN TOOLS
Transistors
Gates
Integrated Chips
Programmable Logic Devices
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Microcomputers / Microcontrollers
HOW IS THIS CLASS DIFFERENT?
In this class you learn how to design circuits.
As you learn about circuit design process, you will gain a historical
perspective on how advancements in technology and the circuit
design process itself have impacted the world of electronics.
Did you know:
The binary mathematics that govern much of digital design were
actually figured out roughly 100 years before the invention of the
transistor?
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(Transistors make digital circuits possible.)
WHAT DOES A CIRCUIT DESIGN PROCESS
LOOK LIKE?
Analog Circuits
• Before we can jump into digital designs, it is important to understand
basic circuits, analog components and analog designs.
• What are the characteristics of analog and digital circuits? How are
they different?
Digital Circuits
• How do I get the circuit to do what I want it to do? Combinational
Logic.
• How do I get the circuit to do what I want it to do,
to happen? Sequential Logic.
when I want it
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