Applications of Flip-Flops:
Some of the common uses of the Flip-Flops are as follows:
- 1) Bounce elimination switch
- 2) Latch
- 3) Registers
- 4) Counters
- 5) Memory, etc.
Some examples of uses of Flip-Flops are given below:
A) Bounce elimination switch :
Mechanical switches are employed in digital system as a input devices by witch digital information (0 and 1) is entered into the system. There is a very serious problem associated with these switches which is switch bouncing (chattering).
If we entered input as ‘1’ in a sequential circuit the output is ‘1’ but it oscillates between ‘1’and ‘0’ before come to rest i.e. 1. This changes the output of the sequential circuit and creates difficulties. This problem is eliminated by the use of Bounce elimination switches.
B) Registers :
A register is composed of a group of flip-flops to store a group of bits (word). For storing N bit of words we require N number of flip-flops (one flip of for each bit).
A flip flop can store only one bit of data, a 0 or a 1; it is referred to as a single bit register. When more bits of data are to be stored, a number of flip flops are used. A register is a set of flip flops used to store a binary data. The storage capacity of a register is a number of bits of digital data that it can retain. Loading a register means setting or resetting the individual flip flops, i.e. inputting data into the register so that their states correspond to the bits of data to be stored. Loading may be serial or parallel in serial loading, data is transferred into the register in serial form, i.e. one bit at a time, whereas in parallel loading, the data is transferred into the register in parallel form meaning that all the flip flops are triggered into their new states at the same time. Parallel input requires that the SET and/or RESET controls of every flip flop be accessible.
C) Counters :
Digital counters are used for count the events. Electrical pulses corresponding to the event are produced using transducers & these pulses counted using a counter.
A digital counter is a set of flip-flops whose stated change in response to pulses applied at the input to the counter. The flip flops are interconnected such that their combined state at any time is the binary equivalent of the total number of pulses that have occurred up to that point. Thus, as its name implies, a counter is used to count the pulses. A counter can also be used as a frequency divider to obtain waveforms with frequencies that are specific fractions of the clock frequency. They are also used to perform the timing function as in digital watches, to create time delays, to crate non-sequential binary counts, to generate pulse trains, and to act as frequency counters, etc.
D) Random access memory:
In computers, digital control systems, information processing systems it is necessary to store digital data and retrieve the data as desired.
Flip-Flops can be used for making memories in which data can be stored for any desired length of time and then readout whenever required.
The data stored in RWMs (Read Write memories) constructed from semiconductor devices will be lost if power is removed. Such memory is said to be volatile. But ROM is non-volatile. Random access memory (RAM) is the memory whose memory locations can be accessed directly and immediately. By contrast, to access a memory location on a magnetic tape, it is necessary to wind or unwind the tape and go through a series of addresses before reaching the address desired. Therefore, the tape is called the sequential access memory.
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