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

What are Digital Devices? 2 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

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) 3 Why Are There So Many Digital Devices Today?

4 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.

5 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.

6 Who Works with Digital Devices? Electrical engineers are not the only ones who know about digital circuits and work with them regularly. – Technicians – Programmers

Some students have studied electricity and circuits in other classes. What 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?” 7 How is this Class Different? Circuit Design

Progression of Digital Design Tools 8 Transistors Gates Integrated Chips Programmable Logic Devices Microcomputers / Microcontrollers

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.) 9 How is this Class Different?

10 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.