Part 2: Topic 2 - Functional Blocks of a Microcontroller

Question 1

What issue do latches have?

Answer 1

• When latches are used for the memory elements in sequential circuits, a serious difficulty arises. Latches have the property of immediate output responses (i.e., transparency).
• Because of this the output of a latch cannot be applied directly (or through logic) to the input of the same or another latch when all the latches are triggered by a common clock source (i.e., cannot implement tapped delay line). Flip-flops are used to overcome this difficulty.

Question 2

How is the MSP432 address space divided up?

Answer 2

●4GB address space that is divided into eight 512MB zones.

Question 3

Determinisitic and Non-Deterministic FSMs?

Answer 3

–Deterministic: Considers all possible inputs at all states.

–Non-deterministic: Machine can move to any combination of states and hence the exact state cannot be determined.