Digital Electronics — Complete 12-Article Series

About this series

This series covers digital electronics from first principles — starting with how computers count in binary all the way through to the memory chips that store your data. Each article is self-contained with theory, worked examples, circuit diagrams, and IC reference numbers. The series follows D. K. Kaushik’s Digital Electronics textbook and is designed for B.E./B.Tech students and practising VLSI engineers who need a solid refresher on fundamentals.

Unit I — Foundations

DE01

Chapter 1 · Number Systems

Number Systems — Binary, Octal, Hex & Arithmetic

Positional number systems, radix conversions between decimal/binary/octal/hex, binary arithmetic including signed numbers, 1’s and 2’s complement, floating-point representation.

Radix & BaseConversions2’s ComplementBinary ArithmeticFloating Point

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DE02

Chapter 2 · Binary Codes

Binary Codes — BCD, Gray, Hamming & CRC

Weighted and non-weighted codes, BCD and Excess-3 arithmetic, Gray code conversions, error detecting and correcting codes — Hamming code construction and CRC.

BCDGray CodeExcess-3Hamming CodeCRCASCII

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Unit II — Logic Design

DE03

Chapter 3 · Boolean Algebra

Boolean Algebra & Logic Gates — Laws, Canonical Forms & NAND/NOR

Postulates and theorems of Boolean algebra, Venn diagrams, SOP and POS canonical forms, realization of Boolean functions, universal gates — NAND and NOR alone implementations.

De Morgan’sSOP / POSCanonical FormsUniversal Gates

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DE04

Chapter 4 · Simplification

Simplification — K-Maps, Don’t Cares & Quine-McCluskey

2-, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-variable Karnaugh maps, pairs/quads/octets, rolling and overlapping groups, incompletely specified functions, NOR implementation, and the tabular Quine-McCluskey method.

K-MapDon’t CaresQuine-McCluskeyNOR Implementation

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Unit III — Combinational Circuits

DE05

Chapter 5 · Arithmetic Circuits

Combinational Circuits — Adders, Subtractors & BCD Arithmetic

Design methodology for combinational logic, half and full adders, parallel binary adder, BCD/8421 adder, Excess-3 adder, 2’s complement adder/subtractor — with complete truth tables and K-map derivations.

Half AdderFull AdderBCD Adder2’s Complement

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DE06

Chapter 6 · More Combinational

MUX, DEMUX, Encoders, Decoders, Comparators & PLDs

Multiplexer expansion and applications, demultiplexers, BCD-to-decimal and 7-segment decoders, priority encoders, magnitude comparators, parity generators, FPLA, PAL, and PROM.

MUX / DEMUXEncodersDecodersPriority EncoderPLDs

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Unit IV — Sequential Circuits & Logic Families

DE07

Chapter 7 · Logic Families

Logic Families — RTL, DTL, TTL, ECL, MOS & CMOS

Fan-out, propagation delay, noise margin, power dissipation. RTL, DCTL, I²L, DTL, HTL, TTL (totem-pole, open-collector, tri-state), Schottky TTL, ECL, MOS, and CMOS — with full comparison table.

TTLCMOSECLNoise MarginFan-out

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DE08

Chapter 8 · Flip-Flops

Flip-Flops — SR, D, JK, T, Master-Slave & Excitation Tables

RS latch with NAND/NOR, clocked RS, edge detection, D and JK flip-flops (edge-triggered), Toggle FF, asynchronous PRESET/CLEAR, Master-Slave JK, excitation tables, FF conversion, timing parameters.

SR LatchJK FFMaster-SlaveEdge TriggeredExcitation Tables

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DE09

Chapter 9 · Shift Registers

Shift Registers — SISO, SIPO, PISO, PIPO, Ring & Johnson

All four shift register types, bidirectional and universal registers, ring counter, Johnson/twisted-ring counter, IC details (7491, 74164, 74194, 74195), serial adder, parity generator, time delay and sequence generator applications.

SISO / SIPOPISO / PIPORing CounterJohnson CounterIC 74194

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DE10

Chapter 10 · Counters

Counters — Asynchronous, Synchronous, Mod-N & Applications

Asynchronous binary and decade counters, up/down counters, synchronous binary and Mod-N counter design, arbitrary sequence counters, controlled counters, counter ICs, digital frequency meter and digital clock applications.

Ripple CounterSync CounterMod-N DesignDecade CounterDigital Clock

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Unit V — Converters & Memories

DE11

Chapter 11 · DAC & ADC

DAC & ADC — R-2R Ladder, Flash, SAR & Dual-Slope Converters

Resistive divider and binary R-2R ladder DAC, performance criteria (resolution, accuracy, settling time), IC DAC 0808, simultaneous/flash ADC, successive approximation, counter ramp, single and dual-slope ADC, IC ADC 0801.

R-2R LadderFlash ADCSAR ADCDual-SlopeIC 0808

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DE12

Chapter 12 · Digital Memories

Digital Memories — ROM, RAM, EEPROM, Magnetic & Optical

Memory parameters, semiconductor ROMs (PROM, EPROM, EEPROM), ROM applications, bipolar and MOS static/dynamic RAM, RAM ICs, magnetic core and disk memories, floppy/hard disk, magnetic bubble memory, CCD, and CD-ROM.

ROM / EPROMSRAM / DRAMEEPROMMagnetic DiskCD-ROM

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Prerequisites & Reading Path

If you want to study…	You should first read…	Difficulty
DE-01 — Number Systems	No prerequisites — start here	Beginner
DE-02 — Binary Codes	DE-01	Beginner
DE-03 — Boolean Algebra	DE-01, DE-02	Beginner
DE-04 — K-Map Simplification	DE-03	Intermediate
DE-05 — Arithmetic Circuits	DE-03, DE-04	Intermediate
DE-06 — MUX / Decoders / PLDs	DE-03, DE-04, DE-05	Intermediate
DE-07 — Logic Families	DE-03 (basic transistor knowledge helps)	Intermediate
DE-08 — Flip-Flops	DE-03, DE-04	Intermediate
DE-09 — Shift Registers	DE-08	Advanced
DE-10 — Counters	DE-08, DE-09	Advanced
DE-11 — DAC & ADC	DE-01 through DE-06	Advanced
DE-12 — Digital Memories	DE-08, DE-11	Advanced

All 12 articles are live. The complete series is available now — start with DE-01 and work through in order, or jump directly to any topic using the prerequisites table above. Each article takes 30–60 minutes to read with worked problems.