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MODULE 5
Sequential Circuit Design
 KNOWLEDGE OF
NUMBER
SYSTEM/CODES

REGISTERS, MANIPULATION
/SIMPLIFICATION
DATA OF BOOLEAN
MOVEMENT LOGICS

ELEMENTS OF
PROCESSOR
TYPICAL
EXAMPLE
SEQUENTIAL
LOGIC LOGC
DESIGN DECISION

COMBINATIONAL
DESIGN

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SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS
CONCEPT OF CONCEPT OF
MEMORY CLOCK
REGISTERS,
COUNTERS,
LATCH FLIPFLOP FINITE STATE
MACHINE

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Most realistic decision-making processes make use of
(i) prior information stored in memory,
(ii) and the input information fed from outside at the time of making the decision.
(iii) Moreover information generated during a decision-making process is often
considered to be useful for future, and is as such stored in memory
concurrently with the decision-making.
Clearly, a digital circuit must incorporate the same features also. Such digital
circuits, incorporating memory, are called sequential circuits.
In contrast, the outputs of combinational logic depend only on the present values
of the inputs.

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 Block Diagram: Sequential Circuit
 It consists of a combinational circuit to which storage elements are
connected to form a feedback path.
 The sequential circuit receives binary information from external
inputs that, together with the present state of the storage elements,
determine the binary value of the outputs.

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The storage/memory elements are capable of storing binary information. The
binary information stored in these elements at any given time defines the state of
the sequential circuit at that time.
The block diagram demonstrates that the outputs in a sequential circuit are a
function not only of the inputs, but also of the present state of the storage
elements.
The next state of the storage elements is a function of external inputs and the
present state of the storage/memory element. 6
 A synchronous sequential circuit employs signals that affect the storage
elements at only discrete instants of time.
 Synchronization is achieved by a timing device called a clock generator, which
provides a clock signal having the form of a periodic train of clock pulses.
 The clock signal is commonly denoted by the identifiers clock, CK or clk.
 The clock pulses determine when computational activity will occur within
the circuit, and other signals (external inputs and otherwise) determine
what changes will take place affecting the storage elements and the
outputs.
 For example, a circuit that is to add and store two binary numbers would
compute their sum from the values of the numbers and store the sum at the
occurrence of a clock pulse.
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They are called synchronous circuits because the activity within the
circuit and the resulting updating of stored values is synchronized
to the occurrence of clock pulses.

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 The storage elements (memory) used in clocked sequential circuits are latch or flip-flops. A
latch/flip-flop is a binary storage device capable of storing one bit of information.
 The outputs are formed by a combinational logic function of the inputs to the circuit or the
values stored in the flip-flops (or both).
 The value that is stored in a flip-flop when the clock pulse occurs is also determined by the
inputs to the circuit or the values presently stored in the flip-flop (or both).
 The new value is stored (i.e., the flip-flop is updated) when a pulse of the clock signal occurs.

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What are Sequential Circuits?
Sequential circuits are digital circuits where the output not only
depends on the current inputs but also on the past history of inputs
(i.e., previous states).
How They Differ from Combinational Circuits: Unlike
combinational circuits (which depend only on the current inputs),
sequential circuits have memory elements that store information
about previous inputs. This makes them state-dependent.
Key Components: The two main building blocks of sequential circuits
are latches and flip-flops.
Examples of Sequential Circuits:
• Counters (like a digital clock)
• Registers (to store data temporarily)
• Memory (in computers)
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 A storage element in a digital circuit can maintain a binary state indefinitely (as long as
power is delivered to the circuit), until directed by an input signal to switch states.
 The major differences among various types of storage elements are in the number of
inputs they possess and in the manner in which the inputs affect the binary state.
 Storage elements that operate with signal levels (rather than signal transitions) are referred
to as latches; those controlled by a clock transition are flip-flops.

 Therefore latches are said to be level sensitive devices and Flip-flops are edge-sensitive
devices.
 The two types of storage elements are related because latches are the basic circuits from
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which all flip-flops are constructed.
LATCH: level triggered flip-flop: edge triggered
Below timing diagram Below timing diagram is
is for positive level
latch
for positive edge triggered
flip-flop

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