Reading Floyd's Digital Fundamentals? Build its circuits live
Digital Fundamentals, by Thomas L. Floyd, is a widely used introductory textbook on digital electronics, in its 11th edition from Pearson. Its 15 chapters are Digital Concepts; Number Systems, Operations, and Codes; Logic Gates; Boolean Algebra and Logic Simplification; Combinational Logic Analysis; Functions of Combinational Logic; Latches, Flip-Flops, and Timers; Shift Registers; Counters; Programmable Logic; Data Storage; Signal Conversion and Processing; Data Transmission; Data Processing; and Integrated Circuit Technologies. This page maps each chapter to lessons and live circuits you can try in digiwleea's free browser lab, as a hands-on companion to the reading.
What the book does best
It is practical and broad: from number systems and gates through the standard combinational and sequential building blocks to programmable logic, memory, data conversion, data transmission and the integrated-circuit families behind them, which makes it a common choice for electronics technology courses as well as computer engineering. (digiwleea is an independent project, not affiliated with Pearson or the author.)
Where digiwleea helps
A textbook figure stands still. digiwleea is a visual, switch-level simulator in the browser: you build gates from CMOS transistors, then wire the book's building blocks (adders, decoders, multiplexers, latches, flip-flops, shift registers, counters, memory) and watch every wire as you flip the inputs, with each part checked against its truth table. It covers digital logic only: there are no analog parts, timers or converters, so the signal conversion chapter has no counterpart here.
| Digital Fundamentals (Floyd) | digiwleea | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | A textbook (print and e-book) | A browser lab, theory lessons and a guided course |
| Scope | Digital electronics, from gates to data conversion and IC technologies | Digital logic, from transistors to an 8-bit CPU |
| Circuits | Schematics and IC examples | Schematics you wire and simulate live, including classic 74xx and 4000 chips |
| Checks your work | Exercises | Every part checked against its truth table |
| Price | Paid textbook | Free lab and Act I; Premium for the full course |
Chapter by chapter: what to try live
The chapter titles are the 11th edition's; next to each, the digiwleea lessons and live circuits on the same topics:
- 1. Digital Concepts. How binary works and logic gates explained.
- 2. Number Systems, Operations, and Codes. The base converter, binary and hex calculators, one's and two's complement, BCD, Gray code and the ASCII table.
- 3. Logic Gates. Every gate's truth table, from AND to XNOR, the logic gates quiz, and gates from transistors in the CMOS inverter.
- 4. Boolean Algebra and Logic Simplification. Boolean algebra, De Morgan's laws, the Karnaugh map solver and the Boolean algebra problems.
- 5. Combinational Logic Analysis. NAND and NOR as universal gates, and any expression drawn as gates with the logic circuit generator.
- 6. Functions of Combinational Logic. Adders, the comparator, decoders, the BCD to 7-segment decoder, encoders, multiplexers, demultiplexers and the parity generator and checker.
- 7. Latches, Flip-Flops, and Timers. The SR and D latches, D, JK and T flip-flops, the edge detector and switch debouncing.
- 8. Shift Registers. Serial in, PISO, bidirectional and universal shift registers, ring and Johnson counters, and the 74HC595.
- 9. Counters. Asynchronous and synchronous counters, the up/down counter, the decade counter and the 74HC161.
- 10. Programmable Logic. The ROM and PLA lesson, and free lessons on Verilog and VHDL.
- 11. Data Storage. RAM, the memory simulator, the register file and a cache.
- 13. Data Transmission. Error detection with the CRC calculator, Hamming codes and parity.
- 14. Data Processing. How a computer runs a program: the how a CPU works lesson and the CPU simulator.
- 15. Integrated Circuit Technologies. CMOS, the MOSFET simulator, and live 74xx and 4000-series chips such as the 7400 and CD4011.
No sign-up is needed to start: open the lab and place your first transistor, or read the free theory course. The account (and the AI tutor) are optional.
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See for yourself: build a logic gate from transistors in the simulator, then follow the path from sand to an 8-bit CPU.
Open the digiwleea lab →Frequently asked
Is there a simulator for Floyd's Digital Fundamentals?
The book's digital circuits (gates, combinational blocks, flip-flops, shift registers, counters) can be built in any logic simulator. digiwleea runs in the browser with nothing to install and has most of them ready as live circuits, chapter by chapter.
What are the chapters of Digital Fundamentals by Floyd?
In the 11th edition: Digital Concepts; Number Systems, Operations, and Codes; Logic Gates; Boolean Algebra and Logic Simplification; Combinational Logic Analysis; Functions of Combinational Logic; Latches, Flip-Flops, and Timers; Shift Registers; Counters; Programmable Logic; Data Storage; Signal Conversion and Processing; Data Transmission; Data Processing; Integrated Circuit Technologies.
Can I practice Floyd's exercises online?
For number systems, Boolean algebra and Karnaugh maps, free tools check your answers: digiwleea has number converters and calculators, a Boolean simplifier, a K-map solver and endless practice quizzes for gates and Boolean algebra.