This is an introductory-level book on the principles of digital logic design. Many topics are introduced in an exploratory spirit so students understand the purpose and motivation for their presentation. Modern design methods are introduced including the behavioral specification of systems using a hardware description language (HDL); ABEL is the chosen HDL for this text. The choice of ABEL to facilitate the introduction of the hardware description language as a tool for design minimizes the effort of students to learn the language, thus enabling them to concentrate on the concepts behind designing with an HDL. A chapter on the use of ABEL in the design of circuits using PLDs is also included.
Additional topics covered in the text are combinational and sequential circuit principles and computer organization. The final chapter on computer architecture is a bridge between the traditional subjects covered in the first eight chapters and the contemporary world of ubiquitous computing.
This text is intended for use by first or second-year students of electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science. No previous knowledge of electric circuits or of electronics is assumed.