Chapter 1.

Introduction to Digital Electronics

Francisco Javier Burgos Flórez, M.E., Msc.

Biomedical Engineering department

1
Evaluation
Item Percentage %
Individual / Group 20
Assignments
Exam 1 20

Exam 2 20
Final Exam 20
Final project 20

2
Schedule
Week description Week description
1 Presentation, introduction to digital electronics
8 Latches, Flip-Flops and timers
2 Numbering system and conversion
9 Shift registers
3 Logic gates
10 Finite state machines

4 Boolean Algebra 11 Exam 2

5 Combinational logic analysis 12 Introduction to Hardware description

languages: VHDL and Verilog
6 Exam 1 13 Combinational logic circuits design
with HDLs
7 Functions of combinational logic
14 Sequential logic circuits design with
HDLs
15 Final project presentation
10-16 April: Holy week (QUARTUS II)
16 Exam 3
3
Introduction
• The term digital is derived from the way operations are performed, by counting digits.

• For many years, applications of digital electronics were confined to computer systems.

• Digital technology has progressed from discrete transistors to complex integrated circuits,
many of which contain millions of transistors, and many of which are programmable.

• This chapter introduces you to digital electronics and provides a broad overview of many
important concepts, components, and tools.

4
Applications
• Diagnostic equipment: Ultrasound imaging

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Bdp2tMFsY&ab_channel=NIBIBgov
5
Applications
• Treatment equipment: Infusion pump

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmNBiTRtPFY&ab_channel=CollegeofDuPage
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ-H6qsmZSU&ab_channel=MohammedNader 6
Applications
• Life support equipment: Neonatal intensive care unit (Incubators)

• https://youtu.be/1ga_c7nzVNw
7
Applications
• Portable diagnostic equipment: Electrochemical biosensors

• https://youtu.be/28oRB1LWWEw
8
Digital vs Analog

A analog quantity is one having

continuous values

A digital quantity is one having a discrete

set of values

Each value represented by a dot can be

digitized by representing it as a digital
code that consists of a series of 1s and
0s

9
 The digital advantage
• Digital data can be processed and transmitted more efficiently and reliably than analog
data.

• Digital data has a great advantage when storage is necessary. For example, music when
converted to digital form can be stored more compactly and reproduced with greater
accuracy and clarity than is possible when it is in analog form.

• Noise (unwanted voltage fluctuations) does not affect digital data nearly as much as it
does analog signals.

10
An exemplary analog system

11
A system using Digital and Analog methods

12
One application: Mechatronics

The movement of the arm in any quadrant and to any specified position is accomplished with
some type of digital control such as a microcontroller.

13
Binary digits

• Each of the two digits in the Positive Logic

binary system, 1 and 0, is
called a bit, which is a
contraction of the words
Higher voltage Lower voltage
binary digit.
level level
• In digital circuits, two different
voltage levels are used to
represent the two bits.

14
Logic levels • There can be no overlap between the
accepted range of HIGH levels and the
accepted range of LOW levels.
• HIGH for CMOS may range from 2 V to 3.3
V and LOW from 0 V to 0.8 V.
• If a voltage of 2.5 V is applied, the circuit will
accept it as a HIGH or binary 1. If a voltage
of 0.5 V is applied, the circuit will accept it as
a LOW or binary 0. For this type of circuit,
voltages between 0.8 V and 2 V are
unacceptable.

15
Digital waveforms

16
Digital waveforms: a non-ideal pulse

17
Waveforms characteristics

18
Waveforms characteristics
• The frequency 𝑓 of a pulse (digital) waveform is the reciprocal of the period. The
relationship between frequency and period is expressed as follows:
1
𝑓=
𝑇

• An important characteristic of a periodic digital waveform is its duty cycle, which is the
ratio of the pulse width (𝑡𝑤 ) to the period (𝑇). It can be expressed as a percentage.

𝑡𝑤
𝐷𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝐶𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒 = 100%
𝑇

19
Waveforms characteristics: Example
• Determine the period, frequency and duty cycle of the following periodic digital waveform:

𝑇 is equal to 10 ms, 𝑡𝑤 is equal to 1 ms. Hence,

1 1 1 𝑚𝑠
𝑓= = = 100 𝐻𝑧 𝐷𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝐶𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒 = 100 = 10%
𝑇 10 𝑚𝑠 10 𝑚𝑠
20
Binary information

21
Timing diagrams

22
 Data transfer

• A minimum of only one line is required

• it takes longer to transfer a given number of
bits than with parallel transfer at the same
clock frequency
• All the bits in a group are sent out on
separate lines at the same time.
• If one bit can be transferred in 1 ms, then it
takes 8 ms to serially transfer eight bits but
only 1 ms to parallel transfer eight bits
• It takes more lines than serial transfer 23
 Basic logic functions

NOT Inverter logic circuit

AND AND gate

OR
OR gate

24
Combinational logic functions

COMPARATOR
Combinational logic functions
ADDER
Combinational logic functions

ENCODER DECODER
Data selection functions
The storage function
SERIAL SHIFT REGISTER PARALLEL SHIFT REGISTER
The counting function
A process control system
Programmable logic

PLDs= Programmable logic devices

FPGA= Field programmable gate array
Simple PLDs: replace up to ten fixed-function
ICs and their interconnections
CPLD Architecture

Logic array blocks (LABs)

Programmable interconnection array (PIA).
Each LAB is roughly equivalent to one
SPLD.
There can be from two to sixty-four LABs
per CPLD
FPGA architecture

Large FPGAs can have tens of thousands

of logic blocks. Each Logic block is
similarly complex to a LABs on CPLDs
The programming process

An SPLD, CPLD, or FPGA can be thought of as a “blank slate” on which you implement a
specified circuit or system design using a certain process.
Design flow diagram The circuit or system design must be entered into the
design application software using text-based entry,
graphic entry (schematic capture), or state diagram
description using Hardware description language
(HDL) such as VHDL or Verilog.

The entered and compiled design is simulated by

software to confirm that the logic circuit functions as
expected. The simulation will verify that correct
outputs are produced for a specified set of inputs.

Synthesis is where the design is translated into a

netlist, which has a standard form and is
device independent.

The logic structures described by the netlist are

mapped into the actual structure of the specific
device being programmed. Outputs a bitstream.

Confirm that there are no design flaws or timing

problems due to propagation delays.

bitstream is downloaded to the device to implement

the software design in hardware.
Why use a FPGA?