18.

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Chapter Review

This chapter has introduced you to the basic process of design, which you can really learn only by doing, and the kinds of systems we are interested in designing, namely combinational and sequential digital systems. We have attempted to develop an appreciation for the many different ways to represent a digital design, from simple interconnected switches through programming language-like behavioral descriptions. Finally, we have reviewed the changing technological landscape, focusing on the new approaches for building digital systems more rapidly: computer-aided design tools and user-programmable devices. We are now ready to begin a more serious study of the design and implementation techniques for digital systems.

Further Reading

A very good description of the design process can be found in Chapter 3 of S. Dasgupta's book Computer Architecture: A Modern Synthesis, John Wiley, New York, 1989. An excellent discussion of a variety of programmable logic technologies can be found in R. C. Alford's book, Programmable Logic Designer's Guide, published by Howard W. Sams & Co., Indianapolis, IN, in 1989. For those not familiar with the basic background concepts of electronics, a gentle introduction can be found in T. M. Frederiksen's work, Intuitive Digital Computer Basics, published by McGraw-Hill, New York, in 1988 (the entire "Intuitive" series is quite good). The classic text on digital design for very large scale integrated circuits is by Carver Mead and Lynn Conway, Introduction to VLSI Systems, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1980. The complete spectrum of computer-aided design tools is described in Steven Rubin's text Computer Aids for VLSI Design, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1987. Carlo Séquin covers the issues involved in managing the complexity of large complex digital designs in his paper "Managing VLSI Complexity: An Outlook," which appeared in Proceedings of the IEEE, 71:1, 149-166 (January 1983).

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This file last updated on 05/19/96 at 09:31:39.
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