Digital Logic Systems – Volume I - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

Digital Logic Systems – Volume I

Course Outline

The course begins with a fundamental review of the basic components of numbers, including determining the most significant digit and least significant digit in a number. From this basis, we move to adding and subtracting numbers in different bases, which is one of the fundamental computer logic operations. Conversions between bases are also covered as well as an explanation of binary coded decimal (BCD) numbers.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

After taking this course you should:

Recognize different types of number systems as they relate to computers;
Identify and define unit, number, base/radix, positional notation;
Understand the relationship between a decimal point and a radix point;
Understand the concepts of most and least significant digits;
Know how to add and subtract in binary number systems;
Know how to add and subtract in octal number systems;
Know how to add and subtract in hexadecimal number systems;
Understand the application of R’s complement in subtraction;
Be able to convert values into decimals from other number systems;
Be able to convert values from decimal into other number systems;
Be able to convert values from binary into other number systems;
Be able to convert values from octal into other number systems;
Be able to convert values from hexadecimal into other number systems;
Be able to convert values into Binary-coded decimal numbers; and
Understand how to add in binary-coded decimal.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for electrical engineers and others who want to understand how digital computer logic systems work.

Benefit to Attendees

This first course in the series on digital computer logic sets the stage for understanding logic gates and how they can be arranged and manipulated to perform arithmetic operations. This course is key to understanding the remaining courses in this series.

Course Introduction

Ever since people discovered that it was necessary to count objects, they have been looking for easier ways to count them. The abacus, developed by the Chinese, is one of the earliest known calculators. It is still in use in some parts of the world.

Computers are now employed wherever repeated calculations or the processing of huge amounts of data is needed. The greatest applications are found in the military, scientific, and commercial fields. They have applications that range from mail sorting, through engineering design, to the identification and destruction of enemy targets. The advantages of digital computers include speed, accuracy, and manpower savings. Often computers are able to take over routine jobs and release personnel for more important work - work that cannot be handled by a computer.

People and computers do not normally speak the same language. Methods of translating information into forms that are understandable and usable to both are necessary. Humans generally speak in words and numbers expressed in the decimal number system, while computers only understand coded electronic pulses that represent digital information.

In this course you will learn about number systems in general and about binary, octal, and hexadecimal number systems specifically. Methods for converting numbers in the binary, octal, and hex systems to equivalent numbers in the decimal system (and vice versa) will also be described. You will see that these number systems can be easily converted to the electronic signals necessary for digital equipment.

This course is the first in a series of courses and lays out the basics needed to comprehend digital logic circuits. Subsequent courses address fundamental logic circuits and special logic circuits.

Course Content

This course content is in the following PDF document:

Digital Logic Systems – Volume I

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

In this course we have learned how to use binary, octal, and hexadecimal number systems. Methods for adding, subtracting, and converting binary, octal, and hexadecimal numbers have been shown. The next course in this series covers the fundamental components in digital logic systems.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.