28011 - Logic Design T

Learning outcomes

Digital design principles and models. Information coding, analysis and synthesis of combinational and sequential circuits.

Course contents

Principles and examples of information coding.
Signed and unsigned integers, two's complement and introduction to binary arithmetic.

Boolean functions, boolean algebra and combinational circuits.
Main combinational components and their scalability.
Programmable combinational circuits, arithmetic and logical units.

Sequential logic: structural and behavioral models.
Detecting transition sequences versus time intervals: the asynchronous and the synchronous (clocked) behavioural models.
Analysis and synthesis of Moore and Mealy machines.
Storage elements: SR-FF and D-FF.

Hierarchical design: entity and architecture of a digital circuit
Rising the abstraction level from gate to component level.
Basic components of complex digital circuits: counters and registers.
Combining counters, registers and combinational logic into simple digital systems.
Introduction to a CPU architecture: Data Path and Control Unit

Approaching design verification with logic design tools: design entry and design simulation (not included this year).

Readings/Bibliography

Peter J.Ashenden, Digital Design An Embedded Systems Approach Using VHDL, Morgan Kaufmann (Only chapters 1 to 4 and 6 are relevant to the course).

Teaching methods

5 classroom hours per week, 60 hours altogether.

Assessment methods

Assessment shall be based on the outcome of a written test.
Test time: 3 hours
Test structure: one design exercise and theoretical questions.

Teaching tools

Slides stored in the platform (IOL) are presented and interactively discussed in the classroom.

Classroom lectures might coexist or be replaced by online lectures on Microsoft Teams.

Office hours

See the website of Tullio Salmon Cinotti