What makes some computers slow? What makes some digital systems operate reliably for years while others fail mysteriously every few hours? Why do some systems dissipate kilowatts while others operate off batteries? These questions of speed, reliability, and power are all determined by the system-level electrical design of a digital system. Digital Systems Engineering presents a comprehensive treatment of these topics. It combines a rigorous development of the fundamental principles in each area with down-to-earth examples of circuits and methods that work in practice. The book not only can serve as an undergraduate textbook, filling the gap between circuit design and logic design, but also can help practicing digital designers keep up with the speed and power of modern integrated circuits. The techniques described in this book, which were once used only in supercomputers, are now essential to the correct and efficient operation of any type of digital system.

This introductory textbook provides students with a system-level perspective and the tools they need to understand, analyze and design digital systems. Going beyond the design of simple combinational and sequential modules, it shows how such modules are used to build complete systems, reflecting real-world digital design. All the essential topics are covered, including design and analysis of combinational and sequential modules, as well as system timing and synchronization. It also teaches how to write VHDL-2008 HDL in a productive and maintainable style that enables CAD tools to do much of the tedious work. A complete introduction to digital design is given through clear explanations, extensive examples and online VHDL files. The teaching package is completed with lecture slides, labs and a solutions manual for instructors. Assuming no previous digital knowledge, this textbook is ideal for undergraduate digital design courses that will prepare students for modern digital practice.