A Matlab Based Teaching Tool For Digital Logic

Abstract

This paper introduces, shows, and makes available a tool which is being used for teaching digital logic devices as part of a course in Mechatronics at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. This tool provides a menu driven set of interactive, logic device demonstrations that allows the user to set input states and clock rates to show how a variety of combinational and sequential logic devices behave. This interactive tool is appropriate for use as an in-class teaching demonstration or as an application that can be provided to students to quickly explore common digital logic applications in a laboratory setting. Each application of this menu driven program is written using Matlab program commands and uses a graphical user interface which allows the user to easily control all inputs with the simple click of a mouse button. By changing the inputs of each demonstration and examining the outputs, intermediate states, and truth tables, it is easy for students to begin to understand how common digital devices function. This program currently demonstrates eighteen different logic gates and circuits. These include logical AND, OR, XOR, NOR, and NAND gates as well as more complicated combinational and sequential logical devices like decoders, multiplexers, flip-flops, latches, counters, LED displays, and drivers. More logical circuit devices are in the process of being added, and these logic demonstrations are available for free distribution at the web address given at then end of the paper.