Digital Systems and Interfacing
Description
An introductory course on the basics of the digital devices and interfacing peripherals that form an integral part of numerous modern-day systems. Digital devices used for performing arithmetic and timing operations and for memory and data transfer are presented or derived and built. Practical experience in interfacing external instrumentation to a digital computer system is gained.
Learning Outcomes
Discuss the need for and approaches to conversion between analogue and digital data.
Describe, draw and assemble basic combinational and sequential digital logic circuits using the appropriate logic gates.
Deduce the output and minimised versions of logic/digital circuits using Boolean algebra / Karnaugh-mapping techniques.
Connect external instrumentation to a computer via a data-acquisition device using appropriate circuitry.
Construct a computer program to acquire/control and manipulate data input/output from interfaced instruments.
Explain and relate the functions of the principal digital devices (e.g., adders, latches, registers, counters) and interfacing software/hardware within a modern computer system.