A First Course In Digital Systems Design

This book provides a new paradigm for teaching digital systems design. It puts forth the view that modern digital logic consists of several interacting areas that combine in a cohesive fashion. This includes traditional subjects such as Boolean algebra, logic formalisms, Karnaugh maps, and other classical topics. However, it goes beyond these subject areas by including VHDL, CMOS, VLSI and RISC architectures to show what the field looks like to a modern logic designer. Modern digital design is no longer practiced as a stand-alone art. The integrated approach used in this book is designed to ensure that graduating engineers are prepared to meet the challenges of the new century.

This book has been designed for a first course on digital design for engineering and computer science students. It offers an extensive introduction on fundamental theories, from Boolean algebra and binary arithmetic to sequential networks and finite state machines, together with the essential tools to design and simulate systems composed of a controller and a datapath. The numerous worked examples and solved exercises allow a better understanding and more effective learning. All of the examples and exercises can be run on the Deeds software, freely available online on a webpage developed and maintained by the authors. Thanks to the learning-by-doing approach and the plentiful examples, no prior knowledge in electronics of programming is required. Moreover, the book can be adapted to different level of education, with different targets and depth, be used for self-study, and even independently from the simulator. The book draws on the authors’ extensive experience in teaching and developing learning materials.

What makes some computers slow? Why do some digital systems operate reliably for years while others fail mysteriously every few hours? How can some systems dissipate kilowatts while others operate off batteries? These questions of speed, reliability, and power are all determined by the system-level electrical design of a digital system. Digital Systems Engineering presents a comprehensive treatment of these topics. It combines a rigorous development of the fundamental principles in each area with real-world examples of circuits and methods. The book not only serves as an undergraduate textbook, filling the gap between circuit design and logic design, but can also help practising digital designers keep pace with the speed and power of modern integrated circuits. The techniques described in this book, once used only in supercomputers, are essential to the correct and efficient operation of any type of digital system.

This book is intended for a first course on microprocessor-based systems design for engineering and computer science students. It starts with an introduction of the fundamental concepts, followed by a practical path that guides readers to developing a basic microprocessor example, using a step-by-step problem-solving approach. Then, a second microprocessor is presented, and readers are guided to the implementation and programming of microcomputer systems based on it. The numerous worked examples and solved exercises allow a better understanding and a more effective learning. All the examples and exercises were developed on Deeds (Digital Electronics Education and Design Suite), which is freely available online on a website developed and maintained by the authors. The discussed examples can be simulated by using Deeds and the solutions to all exercises and examples can be found on that website. Further, in the last part of this book, different microprocessor-based systems, which have been specifically thought for educational purposes, are extensively developed, simulated and implemented on FPGA-based platforms. This textbook draws on the authors’ extensive experience in teaching and developing learning materials for bachelor’s and master’s engineering courses. It can be used for self-study as well, and even independently from the simulator. Thanks to the learning-by-doing approach and the plentiful examples, no prior knowledge in computer programming is required.

A First Course in Control System Design discusses control systems design from a model-based perspective as applicable to single-input single-output systems. The emphasis in this book is on understanding and applying the techniques that enable the design of effective control systems.

Includes solutions for all the problems in the text.

A solved problem approach for a first course in digital systems, characterized by a systematic approach to design, this outline incorporates "state-of-the-art" design technology and descriptions of available design-oriented software, plus a computer-drawn illustration program.

This textbook for a one-semester course in Digital Systems Design describes the basic methods used to develop “traditional” Digital Systems, based on the use of logic gates and flip flops, as well as more advanced techniques that enable the design of very large circuits, based on Hardware Description Languages and Synthesis tools. It was originally designed to accompany a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) created at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), currently available on the Coursera platform. Readers will learn what a digital system is and how it can be developed, preparing them for steps toward other technical disciplines, such as Computer Architecture, Robotics, Bionics, Avionics and others. In particular, students will learn to design digital systems of medium complexity, describe digital systems using high level hardware description languages, and understand the operation of computers at their most basic level. All concepts introduced are reinforced by plentiful illustrations, examples, exercises, and applications. For example, as an applied example of the design techniques presented, the authors demonstrate the synthesis of a simple processor, leaving the student in a position to enter the world of Computer Architecture and Embedded Systems.