Introduction to Digital Logic and Computer Design

Spring 2016

Tom McLaughlin

http://classes.engineering.wustl.edu/cse260

mclaughlin@email.wustl.edu

cell: 314-477-5089

EE Times, Berkeley Design Tech.

(D. Rommel)

Course overview

This course provides a modern introduction to logic design and the basic building blocks used in digital systems, in particular digital computers.

Basic building blocks of transistors and logic gates

Combinatorial logic and minimization through Boolean algebra

Hardware description language (VHDL) and FPGAs

Sequential circuits – clocking, flip-flops, counters, registers, ALUs, Muxes, Decoders and design an synthesis of such circuits

State machines will be discussed in some detail including different representations including truth tables, logic gates, timing diagrams. We will also write VHDL, synthesize and use a target development board to demonstrate such circuits.

Digital Circuits are Everywhere

CommunicationsMulti-mediaManufacturingConsumer electronicsHealth careDefense and securitySoftwareAutomotive, etc

(Source: R. Tummala, IEEE Spectrum, June 2006)

Life Changers

See artilcel at: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2163

Of these 30 innovations , 10 are directly related to advances in Digital Logic and Solid State Circuits;

Another 8 are the indirect results of ICs.

CSE260: Introduction to Digital Logic

Deals with building blocks of digital systems

(Intel)

?

Practical application of digital logic in labsDesigned by Opal KellyXilinx Spartan 6 FPGA4 pushbuttons; 8 LEDsUSB InterfacePC application called FrontPanel to emulate other hardwareAdd on devices such as GPS device and ….

Schedule

• http://classes.engineering.wustl.edu/cse260/CSE260Schedule.htm

Grading

Labs: 30% (3,3,4,10,10)

Homework: 10%

Exams: 55% (15%, 15%, 25%)

Zybook: 5%

There will be 3 exams. The first two are non-cumulative. The final is cumulative.

Letter Grade Cutoff Percentage

A 93%

A- 90%

B+ 87%

B 83%

B- 80%

C+ 77%

C 73%

C- 70%

D+ 67%

D 63%

D- 60%

F < 60%

Resources• Digital Design by Peter Ashenden

• zyBook is online book with interactive exercises

• 5% of grade is going through the exercises

• Not a lot of text like a traditional text book

• Sign up on the website at http://www.zybooks.com

• WUSTLCSE260Spring2016

• Click Subscribe

• $48

• Other resources on website

Class time, lab time, and office hours

• What will we do in class…other than this one?• Questions on Zybook, videos, labs, etc. Send me questions ahead of time.• Lecture on topics with material complimentary to the Zybook• Exercises• Preparation is key or these will not be useful to you

• Lab• Where, when, who

• TA office hours• Where, when, who

• Questions on logistics?• I’m not on campus full time

Digital versus Analog

What are Logic Gates built from?

• The transistor is the workhorse of every electronic device.

Digital building blocks

Transistor

[CSE 463]

Transistors:

What is a Transistor?

• Electronic, solid-state device that can amplify an electric signal:• Vout > Vin

• Powerout > Powerin

Mike

Idinput output

in

Sout

B

transistor(Source: IMEC)

Digital Model of a Transistor

• We make abstraction of the signals: 0 or 1

• As a result a transistors can be considered a switch (on or off; 1 or ;):

What is an IC?

• An Integrated Circuit is a miniaturized electronic circuits whose components (transistors, resistors, capacitors) are build on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, using the same planar fabrication technology.

(Source: http://www.majelac.com/images/wafer_dicing.jpg) (Source: Wikipedia)

(Picture: Scientific American, Jan. 2010)

Intel Xeon Haswell Processor - 2014

18 cores!Over 5.5 billion transistors!22nm process (gate length)

World of the Small

5 layers of interconnections

(IBM Corp.)

Logic Level (CSE 260)

Circuit Level (ESE 232)

Chip level

(CSE 463)

Moore’s Law

Chip complexity doubles every two years

First 2-Billion Trans. Processor (Tukwila: Itanium processor); Production Q1, 2010

How to Design such complex systems?

Make Abstractions – make the problem easier!

Divide and Conquer – break the problem down!

Reuse previous designs (IP) – stand on the shoulders of others!

Importance of Abstraction

• Real world is very messy – can be described by the laws of Physics

• For EE, CS, these laws are Maxwell’s equations (Electromagnetics – ESE310)

• Simplifications (abstractions):• Lumped models (R, L, C, V)

• Amplifier level

• Digital abstraction: • Gate level (inverter, AND gates)

• …

Digital Abstractions (simplifications)

• Transistors switches

• Gates: inverter, AND, OR, etc.

• Next level: Combinational logic

• Next: Synchronous and sequential logic

• Next: Computational architecture: X86

• Next: Language Abstraction

• Software System Abstraction (OS, Linux, Windows)

Thanks to these levels of abstractions one can build useful things, e.g. iPad, self driving cars, space ships, rovers, etc.

CSE 260• Introduction to modern logic design and

digital building blocks:• Digital circuits, Logic design and Micro-

operations

• Focus on how to design and build Digital Systems:• From simple gates to more complex building

blocks.

• Learn modern tools to design digital circuits.

XC4000XC4000XC4000

Beyond CSE 260

• CSE 260 is only one aspect of building digital systems.

• What else?• Using digital systems (FPGAs) in embedded systems [CSE

462]

• Computer Design [CSE 362]

• Chip Design [CSE 463, CSE 563]

For next time

• Get the Zybook

• Do the Zybook sections before next class (Sections 1.1-1.5)

• Send questions ahead of time

• Be ready to go through exercises

What can I do with FPGAs?

• Xilinx space grade FPGAs• Image subsystems• Decent and landing subsystems