Techniques and trade-offs in digital design

Includes bibliographical references (pages 106-108)There are two phases to the design of digital systems: (1)the theoretical or mathematical design and (2)the translation of mathematical equations into hardware. These two phases are normally treated separately. The textbooks discuss quite adequately the theoretical design but fail to discuss the details of how to convert the mathematical machine into working hardware. To find information on how to use the Integrated Circuit (IC), in a machine one must turn to the manufacturer's application notes or periodicals. Often there is a void between the text and the application notes that must be filled by experience with the use of the IC. The design with integrated circuits is not technically complicated, but there are many opportunities for the designer to make errors which may mean the difference between success and failure. In an attempt to help avoid these errors, this thesis has been written to integrate analytical design with the rules associated with integrated circuit use. To accomplish this integration it has been necessary to: (1)establish criteria for trade- offs, (2)develop unique-logic systems and (3)give consideration to what the future holds in the development of ICs. In addition to the integrated approach, some of the logic systems that are developed in this thesis and some of the design rules for using integrated circuits are original with the author. To accomplish the goal the design of a small digital computer was carried through several steps. The computer components, their limitations and design requirements were examined. The components were then used to develop subsystems and finally the subsystems were put together to form a computer