Digital Design: With an Introduction to the Verilog HDL, VHDL, and SystemVerilog (6th Edition)
For introductory courses on digital design in an Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science department.
A clear and accessible approach to the basic tools, concepts, and applications of digital design
A modern update to a classic, authoritative text, Digital Design, 5th Edition teaches the fundamental concepts of digital design in a clear, accessible manner. The text presents the basic tools for the design of digital circuits and provides procedures suitable for a variety of digital applications. Like the previous editions, this edition of Digital Design supports a multimodal approach to learning, with a focus on digital design, regardless of language. Recognizing that three public-domain languages—Verilog, VHDL, and SystemVerilog—all play a role in design flows for today’s digital devices, the 5th Edition offers parallel tracks of presentation of multiple languages, but allows concentration on a single, chosen language.
Why Read This Book
You should read this book if you want a clear, classroom-proven foundation in digital logic paired with practical introductions to Verilog, VHDL, and SystemVerilog — all presented in an accessible, example-driven style. You will learn the core theory behind combinational and sequential circuits and get hands-on guidance on expressing designs in multiple HDLs so you can move toward FPGA implementation and basic synthesis workflows.
Who Will Benefit
Undergraduate students and early-career hardware or FPGA engineers who need a structured introduction to digital design principles and multiple hardware description languages.
Level: Beginner — Prerequisites: Basic algebra and familiarity with binary numbers; high-school physics or an introductory circuits course is helpful but not required.
Key Takeaways
- Describe and manipulate binary number systems, Boolean algebra, and logic simplification techniques
- Design and analyze combinational and synchronous sequential circuits, including registers and counters
- Create state-machine based designs and convert specifications into implementable HDL descriptions
- Write, simulate, and read Verilog, VHDL, and introductory SystemVerilog code for typical digital modules
- Map designs to programmable logic concepts (PLDs/FPGAs) and understand basic synthesis/timing considerations
- Apply fundamental digital arithmetic and small-scale DSP building blocks used in FPGA-based systems
Topics Covered
- Introduction and Number Systems
- Boolean Algebra and Logic Simplification
- Combinational Logic Design
- Minterms, Maxterms, and Map-Based Simplification
- Synchronous Sequential Circuits: Flip-Flops, Registers, and Counters
- State Machines and State Minimization
- Introduction to the Verilog HDL
- Introduction to the VHDL
- Overview of SystemVerilog Constructs (introductory)
- Programmable Logic and FPGA Concepts
- Digital Arithmetic and Arithmetic Circuits
- Design Examples, Implementation, and Testing
- Timing, Synthesis, and Practical Considerations
- Appendices: Logic Families, Reference Tables, and Problem Solutions
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Compared with Brown & Vranesic's Fundamentals of Digital Logic (which emphasizes VHDL and modern FPGA examples) and Harris & Harris's Digital Design and Computer Architecture (which ties digital design tightly to processor implementation), Mano's book is more classic and tutorial-focused with parallel introductions to multiple HDLs.
