DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: Gaetano PALUMBO

Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge of the fundamental digital circuits to realize logic gates and the main digital building blocks, including combinatory and sequential circuits. Development of the main analysis and design strategies for the digital circuits.

1. Knowledge and understanding: the student will be able to understand the implemntation and the behavior of the various digital circuit, not limited to teh ones treated in the course.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: the student will be able to analyze and design digital circuits regardless the technology adopted.

3. Making judgments: the student will be able to choice independently the topological solutions and the most suited design methodologies for teh application under consideration.

4. Communication and learning skills: Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to acquire the ability to convey the knowledge acquired to their interlocutors in a clear and complete way and will also be able to rework the knowledge to extend it to situations not explicitly addressed, being also able to learn independently.

Course Structure

The course is mainly structured as follows:

frontal lessons where the retical parts are developped and presented in details;
exercitations where the theoretical part are applied in practical cases, in order to develop, consolidate and putting in practice the theoretical topics.

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Attendance of Lessons

Lesson attendance is strongly suggested

Detailed Course Content

Introduction to short-channel MOS model and circuit layout
Digital circuits parameters and performance
CMOS logic families (static, dynamic and transmission gates)
Power consumption in digital circuits
Current mode logic circuits (bipolar and MOS)
Sequential circuits
Registers
Counters
Oscillators
Pulse generators
Schmitt Trigger
Semiconductor Memories

Textbook Information

1. J. Rabaey, A. Chandrakasan, B.Nikolic, Dital Integrated Circuits (2° edition), Prentice Hall, 2003

2. N. Weste, D. Harris, CMOS VLSI Design (3° edition), Addison Wesley, 2004.

3. M. Alioto, G. Palumbo, Model and Design of Bipolar and MOS Current-Mode Logic (CML, ECL and SCL Digital Circuits), Kluwer Academic Publisher, 2005.

4. M. Alioto, E. Consoli, G. Palumbo, Flip-Flop Design in Nanometer CMOS (High Speed to Low Energy), Springer, December 2014.

Course Planning

	Subjects	Text References
1	MOS modeling
2	Digital circuits parameters and performance
3	CMOS logic families
4	Current mode logic circuits
5	Sequential circuits
6	Registers, Counters, Oscillators, Pulse generators, Schmitt Trigger
7	Semiconductor Memories

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

Learning assessment is verified through the final exam. This consists of an exams with a written part and an oral one. The wirtten part includes two questions (two exercises like those treated and solved during the lessons) to solve in one hour without the help of textbook or lecture notes. To pass this part it is mandatory to solve both the two questions. The oral part includes three questions on three different course topics. The final results take into account both the written and oral parts results .

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’integrazione Attiva e Partecipata - Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department.

Finally, learning assessment may also be changed (for example carried out on line), should the conditions require it.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

everything related to the material provided and covered in class can be an exam question

Degree Course in

Electronic Engineering