Digital circuits are circuits that operate in an ON-OFF (or 0-1) mode.

• Why learn about digital circuits?
• Digital circuits are the the basic building blocks of computers, and electrical engineers
• Mechanical, civil, chemical and bio engineers encounter digital circuits indirectly when they make measurements and store their data in a file.  Because computer files use digital circuits to manipulate and store data, it is often necessary to have a basic understanding of digital circuits, how they operate and how they can manipulate data.  That includes the start of the data collection process - when data is transformed from analog form to digital form - so that it can be stored, to the limitations that digital formats impose on you as you manipulate and calculate using your data.
• What do you need to know about digital circuits?
• The basic digital building blocks are called gates.
• Gates can be used to build numerous useful circuits, but it is important to be able to manipulate digital forms mathematically.  This material on minterms is mostly for EE students.
• Building a digital circuit, you want to do that economically, using as few gates as possibleYou need to know how sensors produce voltage.  This material on Karnaugh Maps is mostly for EE students.
• How do you use digital circuits?
• You use digital circuits to build many kinds of computer circuits.
• Flip-flops
• Counters
• A/D and D/A converters
• Memory circuits
• What if?
• If you want to go further, you may need to take a course in computer circuits and architecture.
• Problems
• Click here for Problems on Digital Logic Circuits.

        Here are some links to experiments you can do that will help you learn about digital circuits in different situations.

• Checking out a Quad-NAND chip.
• Part 1 - Wiring and Checking Out a Logic Chip
• Part 2 - Gate Properties
• Implement the voting circuit.
• Using A Counter - The 74LS193
• A Mystery Circuit