Introduction To Digital Electronics

Introduction to Digital Electronics
Digital Electronics © 2014 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

What is Digital Electronics?
Digital Electronics TM (DE) 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, MP3 players, 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)
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• Wireless Technology (Binary Data Transmission)
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 make this course different? Circuit Design
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
Microcomputers / Microcontrollers 10
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?
(Transistors make digital circuits possible.)
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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,
when I want it to happen? Sequential Logic.
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Introduction to Digital Electronics

Digital Electronics © 2014 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

The major focus of the DE course is to expose students to

• Historically, most electronic devices contain analog

Programmable Logic Devices

Did you know:

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