Experiment 4: Latches and Flip Flops

Experiment 4: Latches and Flip Flops
“Memory is the mother of all wisdom.”
Aeschylus
1 Introduction
In this experiment, you will implement and examine data storage elements: latches and
flip-flops using Verilog. In this experiment, you are allowed to use ‘&’ (Bitwise AND),
‘|’ (Bitwise OR), ‘∼’ (Bitwise NOT), ‘{}’ (Concatenate). Moreover, you can also use
always block but only in the last part. That is, you are not allowed to implement
latches and flip flops with this keyword. You must simulate all parts separately with
Vivado. For this experiment, it may be useful to revise your previous knowledge from
BLG231E-Digital Circuits course.
2 Preliminary
Answer the following questions in your report using your own words. Please be careful
about not plagiarizing and properly cite the sources you benefit from.
1. Explain what a flip flop is and why they are useful. Use your own words.
2. Explain what are the differences between latches and flip flops with your own
words.
3. Briefly explain how an SR-latch works and what the functionalities of the input
variables are.
4. Construct the truth table of an SR latch which does not have an Enable input.
5. Construct the truth table of an SR latch which has an Enable input.
6. Construct the truth table of a D flip flop.
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Experiment 4: Latches and Flip Flops
3 Experiment
Part 1 - SR Latch (only NAND Gates)
Please implement an SR latch module with S and R inputs and with Q and Q neg outputs
without an Enable input. You are allowed to use only 2-input NAND gates that you
should implement as a separate module. Using the truth table you have constructed
in the Preliminary section, write the characteristic equation of the latch as Q(t + 1) =
f(S; R; Q(t)). In your report, explain how you found the equation and how the latch
behaves for disallowed inputs.
Part 2 - SR Latch with Enable input (only NAND Gates)
Please implement an SR latch module with S, R and Enable inputs and with Q and Q neg
outputs. You are allowed to use only 2-input NAND gates that you should implement
as a separate module. Using the truth table you have constructed in the Preliminary
section, write the characteristic function of the latch as Q(t + 1) = f(S; R; E; Q(t)). In
your report, explain how you found the equation and how the latch behaves for disallowed
inputs. Discuss whether it is different from an SR Latch without an Enable input in
your report.
Part 3 - D Flip-Flop from D-Latches
Please implement a positive edge triggered D flip-flop module with D input and for Q and
Q neg outputs using D latches. You should implement the D latches yourselves using
only 2-input NAND gates as a separate module. Show that the clock is only effective at
rising edge.
Part 4
Please implement a positive edge triggered pulse generator using a circular shift register.
The circuit should take 16-bit input for the loaded value, 1-bit input for the clock signal,
1-bit input for the load flag and give 1-bit output. Basically, when Load=0 (that is,
shift=1), with the clock signal, circular shift operation is done; when Load=1, with the
clock signal, a 16-bit input value is loaded.
Design your circuit in a way that the output of this circuit is the most significant bit
(MSB) of the loaded value (so, firstly determine what the direction of the shift should
be to maintain MSB as the output).
Your design should support variable pulse frequencies and duration listed below. Build
the circuit and generate given signals. For each signal, observe both input and output.
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Explain your findings on the report.
• with the 1/2 frequency of clock signal
• with the 1/4 frequency of clock signal
• with the 1/8 frequency of clock signal
• with 1/7 pulse-gap duration rate
• with 1/15 pulse-gap duration rate
• with 3/13 pulse-gap duration rate
• with 11/5 pulse-gap duration rate
Hint 1: You can analyze the internal structure of 74XX165 IC for pulse-generator.
Hint 2: You can check what Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is.
Hint 3: In order to provide different frequency ratios with your pulse generator, you
should change the 16-bit input values in the simulation step. You should not change the
design of the pulse generator for different frequency ratios.
4 Report
• You should show your work of Preliminary study on the report in detail.
• You can use any software tool for your circuit designs. You may attach them to
the report as figures by properly referencing them in the text.
• Please use the table attributes of Latex. You can check out online Latex table
generators (for example: https://www.tablesgenerator.com).
• Your report should contain information about the results of your simulations. If
your implementations are not fully correct, discuss what the source of the errors
might be in your report.
• For further details about the report, please check Ninova e-learning system.
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Experiment 4: Latches and Flip Flops
5 Submission
• Please add comments to the code to clarify your intends.
• Please don’t send any document via e-mail to one of the assistants.
• Your reports must be written in Latex format. Latex report template is available
on Ninova. You can use any Latex editor of your choice. If you upload your report
without Latex file, you directly get 0 as your report grade. You should upload
both .pdf and .tex files of your report.
• You should submit 2 separate “.v” files for your Verilog codes: one containing the
modules, one containing the simulation codes.
• Please make sure that you have written your full name and student ID number to
every document you are submitting.
• Please only write the names of members who have contributed to the experiment.
• Note that late submissions are not accepted, be aware of the deadline.
• Please do not hesitate to contact me (erturkr15@itu.edu.tr) for any question. Don’t
forget to have fun and stay healthy.
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