Book excerpt: Until now, there was no single resource for actual digital system design. Using both basic and advanced concepts, Sequential Logic: Analysis and Synthesis offers a thorough exposition of the analysis and synthesis of both synchronous and asynchronous sequential machines. With 25 years of experience in designing computing equipment, the author stresses the practical design of state machines. He clearly delineates each step of the structured and rigorous design principles that can be applied to practical applications. The book begins by reviewing the analysis of combinatorial logic and Boolean algebra, and goes on to define sequential machines and discuss traditional and alternative methods for synthesizing synchronous sequential machines. The final chapters deal with asynchronous sequential machines and pulse-mode asynchronous sequential machines. Because this volume is technology-independent, these techniques can be used in a variety of fields, such as electrical and computer engineering as well as nanotechnology. By presenting each method in detail, expounding on several corresponding examples, and providing over 500 useful figures, Sequential Logic is an excellent tutorial on analysis and synthesis procedures.