HOWARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
EECE 211 DIGITAL SYSTEM DESIGN
COURSE STUDY GUIDE
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The following list is provided as a guide for preparing for the in class
exams and the final exam for EECE 211.
- Appendix A.
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List for Appendix A:
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Be familiar with positional notation for representing decimal, binary,
octal and hexidecimal numbers.
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Be able to convert between decimal, binary, octal or hexadecimal
representations for numbers.
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Be familiar with the concept of using successive division to change
from base 10 (decimal) representations for numbers to base 2 (binary).
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Be familiar with the general concept of addition in positional notation.
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Be familiar with the general concept of subtraction in positional notation.
- Chapter 5.
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List for Chapter 5:
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Be familiar with the representation of numbers using:
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Sign and magnitude,
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Twos complement.
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Be able to add and subtract numbers represented in
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Sign and magnitude,
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Twos complement.
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Be familiar with the overflow problem in adding and subtracting numbers and
the procedure to detect overflow by comparing carry-in and carry-out.
- Chapter 1.
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List for Chapter 1:
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Be familiar with representing logic functions using truth tables.
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Be familiar with the Boolean operations such as AND, OR, NOT and be
able to derive Boolean expressions from truth tables.
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Be familiar with the correspondence between Boolean operations and
logic gates and between Boolean expressions and gate networks.
- Chapter 2.
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List for Chapter 2:
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Be familiar with the Axioms of Boolean Algebra
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Be familiar with the different representations for Boolean operations such
as NOT, OR, AND, NAND, NOR, XOR and XNOR.
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Be familiar with the Laws and Theorems of Boolean Algebra and be
able to use them to minimize Boolean expressions.
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Be familiar with DeMorgan's Theorem and be able to use it to complement
Boolean expressions involving several literals and/or several product
terms or sum terms.
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Be familiar with the expression canonical form and be able to
obtain the canonical form for any given Boolean expression.
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Be able to convert between the two canonical forms for Boolean expressions
(SOP to POS or POS to SOP).
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Be able to derive the SOP and the POS canonical expressions from any given
Boolean expression.
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Be able to simplify Boolean expressions having up to 5 variables using
Karnaugh maps.
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Be able to write an input file for use by espresso for a problem having up
to 6 input variables and several outputs.
- Chapter 3.
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List for Chapter 3:
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Be able to draw schematics for NAND-only networks from either AND-OR
networks or Boolean expressions.
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Be able to draw schematics for NOR-only networks from either AND-OR
networks or Boolean expressions.
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Be able to factor any given Boolean expression to obtain a multilevel
logic implementation.
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Be able to use misII to obtain a multilevel logic implementation of
any given Boolean expression (See the example on in section 3.3.3 on page
129 of the text).
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Be able to derive a two-level Boolean expression from any given
multilevel Boolean expression and then find either the SOP or POS
canonical form or the minimized two-level SOP or POS form.
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Be able to derive a static hazard-free implementation from any
specification of a Boolean function. The various specifications include
truth table, K-map, unminimized SOP or POS form, canonical SOP or POS
form, multilevel form, etc.
- Chapter 4.
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List for Chapter 4:
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Be able to use a multiplexer to implement any given Boolean expression.
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Be able to implement any Boolean expression using a two or three stage
multiplexer.
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Be able to implement any Boolean expression using a decoder and OR gates.
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Be able to implement any Boolean expression using a ROM.
- Chapter 6.
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List for Chapter 6:
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Be able to develop a state diagram from a word problem (See problem 6.2).
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Be able to develop a state table from any given state diagram.
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Be able to determine timing constraints on clocks, etc. for various
feedback circuits from appropriate specifications for flip-flops and/or
latches.
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Be able to draw timing waveforms for clocks, inputs, outputs, etc.
for various feedback circuits from appropriate specifications for
flip-flops and/or latches.
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Be familiar with methods for handshaking for asynchronous transfer of
data.
- Chapter 9.
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List for Chapter 9:
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Be able to use nova, mustang and jedi to investigate the
most efficient state assignment for state machines with a few states (See
section 9.3.4 on page 470 of the text).
- Chapter 7.
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List for Chapter 7:
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Be familiar with the procedures for designing counters.
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Be familiar with the concept of a counter being self-starting.
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Be able to use data shifters to solve simple problems involving bit
patterns.
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Be able to develop Boolean expressions for inputs to any given type of
flip-flops from a truth table providing the inputs, the present states and
the next states. This requires using the state excitation table for the
given flip-flop. (See Problem 7.12 ).
- Chapter 8.
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List for Chapter 8:
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Be able to develop a state diagram from a word problem that describes a
finite state machine or from a state table representation of a finite state
machine.
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Be able to develop a state table from a word problem that describes a
finite state machine or from a state diagram representation of a finite state
machine.
- Chapter 9.
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List for Chapter 9:
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Be able to apply row-matching to reduce the number of states in a state
table representation for a finite state machine.
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Be able to use an implication chart to minimize the number of states in a
state table representation for a finite state machine.
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Be able to use Karnaugh maps and the state assignment guidelines at the
bottom of page 465 in the text to obtain efficient state assignments for
the case where up to five variables are used to represent the states.
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Be able to use any type of flip flop to implement a given state machine from
its state table representation.
- Chapter 4.
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List for Chapter 4:
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Be able to implement any Boolean expression using a PLA-like structure.
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Be able to develop appropriate Boolean expressions from a word
problem. (See Problem 4.23).
- Chapter 5.
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List for Chapter 5:
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Be familiar with the carry look-ahead logic concept and be able to
apply it to obtain a carry look-ahead adder.
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Be familiar with the partial product accumulation approach to designing a
combinational multiplier.
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Be familiar with the arithmetic circuits for
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a half adder, and
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a full adder.