Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• Familiarise students with combinational and sequential digital logic circuits, and the analogue-digital interface,
• Familiarise students with the hardware and basic operation of microprocessors, memory and the associated electronic circuits which are required to build microprocessor-based systems.
• Teach the engineering relevance and application of digital and microprocessor-based systems, give students the ability to design simple systems of this kind, and understand microprocessor operation at the assembly-code level.

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• Know the nomenclature and the representation of basic gates and digital electronic components (including shift registers, counters, latches, RAM and ROM ICs)
• Understand Boolean algebra, and be able to convert verbal descriptions of requirements into Boolean notation
• Understand the need to simplify logic functions or rearrange them to use specific gate types; be able to use Boolean algebra and Karnaugh maps (for up to 4 variables) to achieve these tasks; be able to use "don't care states" in K-maps.
• Know about logic "families", the electronic circuit implementation of logic gates, and the resulting engineering issues (voltage thresholds, noise margin, finite rise time and delay)
• Know about Schmitt inputs; understand static hazards and be able to detect them using K-maps and correct them
• Be familiar with standard number codes for representing data (two's complement notation, sign+magnitude, one's complement, Gray code, ASCII); be able to convert between binary, hex, octal and decimal.
• Understand the operation of logic circuits for addition, negation and subtraction of binary integers
• Be familiar with examples of elementary VHDL and understand why it is useful
• Understand the distinction between combinational and sequential logic and the role of sequential logic; be familiar with unclocked and clocked S-R latches, D-type and JK flip-flops.
• Understand the operation and use of synchronous and asynchronous counters and shift registers.
• Understand state diagrams and their role in sequential circuit design; be able to convert a problem statement into a state diagram; be able to convert a state diagram into a circuit design based on JK flip-flops
• Understand unused states, and be able to guard against errors due to them. Be able to carry out the complete design process, from problem statement to circuit design.
• Understand the operation of weighted resistor and R-2R ladder DAC circuits
• Understand the operation of Full Adder and Ripple Carry Circuits
• Understand ROM and RAM memory circuits, the function of their control, address and data pins, and their use in digital (including microprocessor) systems
• Understand the use of tri-state outputs and busses.
• Understand and be able to design address decoders, including partial address decoders for simple systems.
• Be familiar with the system architecture of a typical PIC microprocessor system, including the ALU, memory, I/O;understand how it can be used in practical applications.
• Be familiar with the internal architecture of a typical PIC microprocessor (the PIC12F629/675) and its instruction set, and understand how instruction execution occurs.
• Understand the features of typical instruction sets,and be able to use the full instruction set (from the tables in the electrical data book).
• Be able to write simple programs in assembler mnemonics, including conditional branches, and calculate their execution times in clock cycles; know about the relationship of higher level languages to assembly level code.
• Understand (in outline only) stacks, subroutines and the hardware reset function.

Content

Digital Fundamentals and Combinational Logic

• Introduction, revision of simple logic gates, overview of logic circuit families. [1] Ch 3, [3] 392-399, [4] 12
• Circuits for inverters and basic logic gates in NMOS and CMOS. [3] 409-410, [5] Ch 2,
• Boolean algebra and its application to combinational logic. Karnaugh maps for function minimisation. [3] 436-446, [4] 39-60, [5] Ch 3,
• Gate delays, timing diagrams, hazards. [4] 391-398
• Introduction to VHDL.

Sequential Logic and its Applications

• Number codes, for example, hexadecimal, BCD, ASCII. 2's complement. [1] Ch 2, [2] Ch 3, [3] 430-435, [4] Ch 10, [6] Ch 3,
• RS and JK flip-flops, latches and simple counters.[3] 412-419, [5] Ch 4,
• Synchronous and asynchronous circuits, counters and shift registers. Serial communication. [3] 446-452, [6] Ch 5
• State diagrams and design methods for a sequencer. [4] Ch 4, [5] Ch 6
• D to A techniques. Weighted resistor and R-2R ladder networks. Schmitt trigger inputs. [3] 522-523
• Logic circuits for arithmetic functions.[3] 442, [4] 17

Introduction to Microprocessors

• Introduction to the architecture of a simple microprocessor. [1] Ch 1,5, [2] 1-9, [4] Ch 1 and Ch 5, [7] 10-13
• Memory circuits, RAM and ROM. Address decoding, definitions of read/write and chip select signals. [2] Ch 12, [3] 455-460, [4] Ch 6, [6] Ch 2
• PIC Microprocessor programming. Programme Development, Registers. [1] Ch 7, Ch 8
• Programming examples based on PIC12F629/675 instruction set. Addressing modes. Implementation using simple machine code. Assembly code and higher level languages. [1] Ch 8,9

REFERENCES

1) BATES, M. PIC MICROCONTROLLERS: AN INTRODUCTION TO MICROELECTRONICS
(2) DOWSING, R.D., WOODHAMS, F.W.D. & MARSHALL, I. COMPUTERS FROM LOGIC TO ARCHITECTURE
(3) FLOYD, T.L. DIGITAL FUNDAMENTALS
(4) GIBSON, J.R. ELECTRONIC LOGIC CIRCUITS
(5) SMITH, R.J. & DORF, R.C. CIRCUITS, DEVICES AND SYSTEMS
(6) TINDER, R.F. ENGINEERING DIGITAL DESIGN

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

 
Last modified: 05/06/2025 13:48

Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• Familiarise students with combinational and sequential digital logic circuits, and the analogue-digital interface,
• Familiarise students with the hardware and basic operation of microprocessors, memory and the associated electronic circuits which are required to build microprocessor-based systems.
• Teach the engineering relevance and application of digital and microprocessor-based systems, give students the ability to design simple systems of this kind, and understand microprocessor operation at the assembly-code level.

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• Know the nomenclature and the representation of basic gates and digital electronic components (including shift registers, counters, latches, RAM and ROM ICs)
• Understand Boolean algebra, and be able to convert verbal descriptions of requirements into Boolean notation
• Understand the need to simplify logic functions or rearrange them to use specific gate types; be able to use Boolean algebra and Karnaugh maps (for up to 4 variables) to achieve these tasks; be able to use "don't care states" in K-maps.
• Know about logic "families", the electronic circuit implementation of logic gates, and the resulting engineering issues (voltage thresholds, noise margin, finite rise time and delay)
• Know about Schmitt inputs; understand static hazards and be able to detect them using K-maps and correct them
• Be familiar with standard number codes for representing data (two's complement notation, sign+magnitude, one's complement, Gray code, ASCII); be able to convert between binary, hex, octal and decimal.
• Understand the operation of logic circuits for addition, negation and subtraction of binary integers
• Be familiar with examples of elementary VHDL and understand why it is useful
• Understand the distinction between combinational and sequential logic and the role of sequential logic; be familiar with unclocked and clocked S-R latches, D-type and JK flip-flops.
• Understand the operation and use of synchronous and asynchronous counters and shift registers.
• Understand state diagrams and their role in sequential circuit design; be able to convert a problem statement into a state diagram; be able to convert a state diagram into a circuit design based on JK flip-flops
• Understand unused states, and be able to guard against errors due to them. Be able to carry out the complete design process, from problem statement to circuit design.
• Understand the operation of weighted resistor and R-2R ladder DAC circuits
• Understand the operation of Full Adder and Ripple Carry Circuits
• Understand ROM and RAM memory circuits, the function of their control, address and data pins, and their use in digital (including microprocessor) systems
• Understand the use of tri-state outputs and busses.
• Understand and be able to design address decoders, including partial address decoders for simple systems.
• Be familiar with the system architecture of a typical PIC microprocessor system, including the ALU, memory, I/O;understand how it can be used in practical applications.
• Be familiar with the internal architecture of a typical PIC microprocessor (the PIC12F629/675) and its instruction set, and understand how instruction execution occurs.
• Understand the features of typical instruction sets,and be able to use the full instruction set (from the tables in the electrical data book).
• Be able to write simple programs in assembler mnemonics, including conditional branches, and calculate their execution times in clock cycles; know about the relationship of higher level languages to assembly level code.
• Understand (in outline only) stacks, subroutines and the hardware reset function.

Content

Digital Fundamentals and Combinational Logic

• Introduction, revision of simple logic gates, overview of logic circuit families. [1] Ch 3, [3] 392-399, [4] 12
• Circuits for inverters and basic logic gates in NMOS and CMOS. [3] 409-410, [5] Ch 2,
• Boolean algebra and its application to combinational logic. Karnaugh maps for function minimisation. [3] 436-446, [4] 39-60, [5] Ch 3,
• Gate delays, timing diagrams, hazards. [4] 391-398
• Introduction to VHDL.

Sequential Logic and its Applications

• Number codes, for example, hexadecimal, BCD, ASCII. 2's complement. [1] Ch 2, [2] Ch 3, [3] 430-435, [4] Ch 10, [6] Ch 3,
• RS and JK flip-flops, latches and simple counters.[3] 412-419, [5] Ch 4,
• Synchronous and asynchronous circuits, counters and shift registers. Serial communication. [3] 446-452, [6] Ch 5
• State diagrams and design methods for a sequencer. [4] Ch 4, [5] Ch 6
• D to A techniques. Weighted resistor and R-2R ladder networks. Schmitt trigger inputs. [3] 522-523
• Logic circuits for arithmetic functions.[3] 442, [4] 17

Introduction to Microprocessors

• Introduction to the architecture of a simple microprocessor. [1] Ch 1,5, [2] 1-9, [4] Ch 1 and Ch 5, [7] 10-13
• Memory circuits, RAM and ROM. Address decoding, definitions of read/write and chip select signals. [2] Ch 12, [3] 455-460, [4] Ch 6, [6] Ch 2
• PIC Microprocessor programming. Programme Development, Registers. [1] Ch 7, Ch 8
• Programming examples based on PIC12F629/675 instruction set. Addressing modes. Implementation using simple machine code. Assembly code and higher level languages. [1] Ch 8,9

REFERENCES

1) BATES, M. PIC MICROCONTROLLERS: AN INTRODUCTION TO MICROELECTRONICS
(2) DOWSING, R.D., WOODHAMS, F.W.D. & MARSHALL, I. COMPUTERS FROM LOGIC TO ARCHITECTURE
(3) FLOYD, T.L. DIGITAL FUNDAMENTALS
(4) GIBSON, J.R. ELECTRONIC LOGIC CIRCUITS
(5) SMITH, R.J. & DORF, R.C. CIRCUITS, DEVICES AND SYSTEMS
(6) TINDER, R.F. ENGINEERING DIGITAL DESIGN

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

 
Last modified: 31/05/2017 10:00

Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• Familiarise students with combinational and sequential digital logic circuits, and the analogue-digital interface,
• Familiarise students with the hardware and basic operation of microprocessors, memory and the associated electronic circuits which are required to build microprocessor-based systems.
• Teach the engineering relevance and application of digital and microprocessor-based systems, give students the ability to design simple systems of this kind, and understand microprocessor operation at the assembly-code level.

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• Know the nomenclature and the representation of basic gates and digital electronic components (including shift registers, counters, latches, RAM and ROM ICs)
• Understand Boolean algebra, and be able to convert verbal descriptions of requirements into Boolean notation
• Understand the need to simplify logic functions or rearrange them to use specific gate types; be able to use Boolean algebra and Karnaugh maps (for up to 4 variables) to achieve these tasks; be able to use "don't care states" in K-maps.
• Know about logic "families", the electronic circuit implementation of logic gates, and the resulting engineering issues (voltage thresholds, noise margin, finite rise time and delay)
• Know about Schmitt inputs; understand static hazards and be able to detect them using K-maps and correct them
• Be familiar with standard number codes for representing data (two's complement notation, sign+magnitude, one's complement, Gray code, ASCII); be able to convert between binary, hex, octal and decimal.
• Understand the operation of logic circuits for addition, negation and subtraction of binary integers
• Be familiar with examples of elementary VHDL and understand why it is useful
• Understand the distinction between combinational and sequential logic and the role of sequential logic; be familiar with unclocked and clocked S-R latches, D-type and JK flip-flops.
• Understand the operation and use of synchronous and asynchronous counters and shift registers.
• Understand state diagrams and their role in sequential circuit design; be able to convert a problem statement into a state diagram; be able to convert a state diagram into a circuit design based on JK flip-flops
• Understand unused states, and be able to guard against errors due to them. Be able to carry out the complete design process, from problem statement to circuit design.
• Understand the operation of weighted resistor and R-2R ladder DAC circuits
• Understand the operation of Full Adder and Ripple Carry Circuits
• Understand ROM and RAM memory circuits, the function of their control, address and data pins, and their use in digital (including microprocessor) systems
• Understand the use of tri-state outputs and busses.
• Understand and be able to design address decoders, including partial address decoders for simple systems.
• Be familiar with the system architecture of a typical PIC microprocessor system, including the ALU, memory, I/O;understand how it can be used in practical applications.
• Be familiar with the internal architecture of a typical PIC microprocessor (the PIC12F629/675) and its instruction set, and understand how instruction execution occurs.
• Understand the features of typical instruction sets,and be able to use the full instruction set (from the tables in the electrical data book).
• Be able to write simple programs in assembler mnemonics, including conditional branches, and calculate their execution times in clock cycles; know about the relationship of higher level languages to assembly level code.
• Understand (in outline only) stacks, subroutines and the hardware reset function.

Content

Digital Fundamentals and Combinational Logic

• Introduction, revision of simple logic gates, overview of logic circuit families. [1] Ch 3, [3] 392-399, [4] 12
• Circuits for inverters and basic logic gates in NMOS and CMOS. [3] 409-410, [5] Ch 2,
• Boolean algebra and its application to combinational logic. Karnaugh maps for function minimisation. [3] 436-446, [4] 39-60, [5] Ch 3,
• Gate delays, timing diagrams, hazards. [4] 391-398
• Introduction to VHDL.

Sequential Logic and its Applications

• Number codes, for example, hexadecimal, BCD, ASCII. 2's complement. [1] Ch 2, [2] Ch 3, [3] 430-435, [4] Ch 10, [6] Ch 3,
• RS and JK flip-flops, latches and simple counters.[3] 412-419, [5] Ch 4,
• Synchronous and asynchronous circuits, counters and shift registers. Serial communication. [3] 446-452, [6] Ch 5
• State diagrams and design methods for a sequencer. [4] Ch 4, [5] Ch 6
• D to A techniques. Weighted resistor and R-2R ladder networks. Schmitt trigger inputs. [3] 522-523
• Logic circuits for arithmetic functions.[3] 442, [4] 17

Introduction to Microprocessors

• Introduction to the architecture of a simple microprocessor. [1] Ch 1,5, [2] 1-9, [4] Ch 1 and Ch 5, [7] 10-13
• Memory circuits, RAM and ROM. Address decoding, definitions of read/write and chip select signals. [2] Ch 12, [3] 455-460, [4] Ch 6, [6] Ch 2
• PIC Microprocessor programming. Programme Development, Registers. [1] Ch 7, Ch 8
• Programming examples based on PIC12F629/675 instruction set. Addressing modes. Implementation using simple machine code. Assembly code and higher level languages. [1] Ch 8,9

REFERENCES

1) BATES, M. PIC MICROCONTROLLERS: AN INTRODUCTION TO MICROELECTRONICS
(2) DOWSING, R.D., WOODHAMS, F.W.D. & MARSHALL, I. COMPUTERS FROM LOGIC TO ARCHITECTURE
(3) FLOYD, T.L. DIGITAL FUNDAMENTALS
(4) GIBSON, J.R. ELECTRONIC LOGIC CIRCUITS
(5) SMITH, R.J. & DORF, R.C. CIRCUITS, DEVICES AND SYSTEMS
(6) TINDER, R.F. ENGINEERING DIGITAL DESIGN

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

 
Last modified: 18/05/2018 11:22

Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• Teach students how electrical and electronic circuits are analysed, how field effect transistors and amplifiers operate, how real and reactive power flows in a.c. circuits, and to teach basic transformer theory.

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• Ohm's law, ideal voltage and current sources, Thevenin and Norton theorems and Kirchhoff's laws in DC circuit analsys (Lectures 1-2)
• Power is transferred from a source to a load and how any network can be represented by a Thevenin or a Norton source.(Lecture 3).
• Complex numbers in the analysis of AC circuits leading to impedance. Resonance, Q-factor in electronic circuits.(Lectures 4-5).
• Analyse AC circuits including gain, frequency response, and impedances of AC circuits.(Lectures 6).
• Introduce the amplifier model to determine gain, input and output impedance. Bode plots and frequency response (7-8)
• Understand how doped semiconductors can produce p-type and n-type, introduce the p-n junction diode. (Lecture 9)
• Know the principles of operation of the Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET).(Lecture 10)
• Know how an equivalent circuit for a MOSFET can be used to determine the small-signal performance of the circuits.(Lectures 11-13).
• Introduction to ideal operational amplifiers (Op Amps) and examples of useful circuits (Lectures 14-26).
• The concepts of real, reactive and apparent power, and power factor, power factor correction of AC loads (FU Lectures 1-2)
• The principles of the transformer, and the development and use of its equivalent circuit. (FU Lectures 3-4)

Content

• Mesh and nodal analysis (1) 34 - 39
• Thevenin's and Norton's theorems, superpositions. (1) 50 - 57
• Alternating current circuits:
• Techniques, impedance and complex analysis. (1) 151-163 (1) 263- 264
• Circuits containing R,L and C. Resonance. (1) 220-231
• Power in resistive loads, r.m.s. quantities. (1) 79
• D.C. characteristics of:
• Diodes (1) 340 - 348 (2) 36 - 41
• Field effect transistors (MOSFET) (1) 362 - 367 (2) 62 - 66
• Operating point, load line and graphical analysis of common source amplifier. (1) 556 - 559 (2) 48 52
• Amplifiers as building blocks, decibels, mid-band gain, bandwidth, multistage amplifiers and coupling. (1) 630 - 632 (2) 1 - 22
• Linearised model of the MOSFET. (1) 591 - 595 (2) 52 - 54
• Common source amplifier (2) 54 - 60
• Operational amplifiers, ideal characteristics, inverting and non-inverting configurations. (1) 518 - 53 (2) 114 - 137
• A.C. Power Flow (1) 205-213 (3) 7-12
• Real power (Watts), reactive power (VARs), apparent power, power factor and its correction.
• Use of power and reactive power to solve a.c. circuits.
• Single-phase Transformers (1) 690 - 710 (3) 67-78
• Principles of operation.
• Development and use of transformer equivalent circuit.

INTEGRATED ELECTRONICS PROJECT (IEP)

The lecture course is run in conjunction with the integrated electronics project (IEP) series of practical exercises.  A kitset of components will be provided along with a PicoScope which will allow experiments to be run in parallel with lectures and examples sheets.  These will also tie in with LTSpice simulations and experiments performed in the lectures.

See the IEP Moodle page

REFERENCES

(1) AHMED, H. & SPREADBURY, P.J. ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
(2) BRADLEY, D. BASIC ELECTRICAL POWER AND MACHINES
(3) HOROWITZ, P & HILL, W. THE ART OF ELECTRONICS
(4) SMITH, R.J. & DORF, R.C. CIRCUITS, DEVICES AND SYSTEMS
(5) WARNES, L.A.A. ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

 
Last modified: 12/09/2024 15:19