What do a cell phone, a handheld game console, and a new car have in common? They are all packed with digital electronics. Digital electronics are so omnipresent in our daily lives that it becomes hard to imagine how we got along without them a couple of decades ago. The development of digital electronics has not stopped. As devices become smaller and employ more complex technology, it becomes more and more important to understand the principles behind them. Maini’s book is a very comprehensive, well-structured, and excellently illustrated approach to teaching the reader these principles.

The book is divided into 16 chapters covering the following seven major topics: digital electronics fundamentals; combinational logic circuits; programmable logic devices; sequential logic circuits; data conversion devices and circuits; microprocessors and microcontrollers; and digital troubleshooting.

The first six chapters deal with the fundamental topics of digital electronics. These include different number systems used for representing alphanumeric data. Conversion from one number system to another is discussed at length. Binary arithmetic, addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division are explained in detail. Only a couple of pages are devoted to floating-point arithmetic. Logic gates and logic families are covered in chapters 4 and 5. Logic gates are electronic circuits that are used to implement the most elementary logic expressions. The treatment of the subject matter is done mainly with the help of respective truth tables and Boolean expressions. Digital integrated circuits are produced using several different circuit configurations. Each approach is called a logic family. Chapter 5 contains a detailed and very valuable description of common logic families in terms of salient features, internal circuitry, and interface aspects. Chapter 6 covers Boolean algebra and simplification techniques.

As a follow-up to logic gates, the most basic building blocks of combinatorial logic, chapters 7 and 8 are devoted to the more complex combinatorial logic circuits, such as arithmetic circuits, multiplexers, demultiplexers, encoders, and decoders. In electronics, a multiplexer is a device that takes input signals from more than one channel and outputs those signals to a single channel. Again, the material is presented in a very clear and comprehensible manner.

A detailed account of programmable logic devices is given in chapter 9. Logic devices constitute one of three important classes of devices used to build digital systems (memory devices and microprocessors are the other two). Simple and complex programmable logic devices and field programmable gate arrays are exhaustively treated in terms of their architecture.

Chapters 10 and 11 cover sequential logic circuits, such as flip-flops; multivibrator circuits; counters; and registers. Particular emphasis is given to timing requirements and the design of counters with varying count sequence requirements, a topic not often found in introductory books.

Data conversion circuits are the subject of chapter 12. This includes digital-to-analog as well as analog-to-digital converters. They are important building blocks of any digital system. Particular attention is given to the application of such converters.

Chapters 13 and 14 discuss microprocessors and microcontrollers, the two versatile devices that have revolutionized whole industries. Microprocessors are at the heart of microcomputer systems, while microcontrollers are hidden inside almost every device with which a user interacts. The entire range of microprocessors and microcontrollers is presented, along with their prominent features, operational aspects, and application guidelines. As a natural follow-up, microcomputer fundamentals are introduced in chapter 15.

The last chapter covers digital troubleshooting techniques and digital instrumentation. This chapter will particularly benefit practicing engineers and electronics enthusiasts. The concepts are illustrated with the help of a large number of troubleshooting case studies.

Maini’s book provides comprehensive coverage of digital electronics at an undergraduate level. It is easy to read, well structured, and will be a rich resource and valuable study companion for students of electrical and computer engineering.