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Digital Electronics Facts & Worksheets

Digital Electronics is a branch of electronics that studies digital signals and the engineering of different devices that use them.

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Digital electronics is a branch of electronics that studies digital signals and the engineering of the different devices that use them. This is discrete and only translates into binary format (one or zero), noise-immune, flexible, and best-suited for computations and digital devices. This differs from analog which has a varying amplitude and is vulnerable to noise, less flexible, and mostly used for video and audio transmission. 

See the fact file below for more information on Digital Electronics, or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Digital Electronics worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Historical Background

  • Digital electronics arise through the development of the binary system and its components like logic gates, transistors, and more.
  • In 1705, Gottfried Leibniz improved the binary number system. In the mid-19th century, George Boole established digital logic while in 1886, Charles Pierce explained how logical operations can be carried out by electrical switching circuits. After some time, vacuum tubes and logic gates were introduced.
  • In 1941, the Z3 or first working programmable, fully automatic digital computer designed by Konrad Zuse, was constructed.  In 1942, when digital computers were the size of a large room, George Stibitz proposed the term “digital”. 
  • Mechanical and electromechanical circuit elements were replaced by their pure electronic equivalents. From 1955 onwards, the “transistorized” or 2nd generation computers arise. They use transistors instead of vacuum, which is more reliable, smaller, has a longer life span, and has lesser power consumption.
  • In 1959, Robert Noyce invented the silicon integrated circuit. This circuit allowed a low-cost and quick manufacture of complex circuits. 
  • The metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) revolutionizes the electronics industry. It makes the first large-scale integration of chips possible. This is due to its high scalability, low power consumption, high transistor density, and affordability. Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng invented this in 1959. 

Binary Numbers

  • Binary numbers are the language of digital electronics. This system is in base 2 numbers that only use the digits 1 and 0. This enables the device to obey commands or inputs, through accessing, storing, and manipulating information. 
  • This number system is used to simplify things for the devices; it is an alternative to the decimal number system which we use daily. That’s why the conversion between binary and decimal number systems is important, for humans and devices to communicate.  
  • To convert binary to decimal numbers, get the sum of all the products between the nos. 1 or 0 from the binary system and the base 2 raise to an exponent depending on the location of the binary number. The exponent will be numbered with natural numbers starting from the right-most number. 
  • Binary to decimal nos. example, for the binary no. 1001, the decimal number would be 9. (1x23) + (0x22) + (0x21) + (1x20) = 9
  • To convert decimal to binary numbers, subtract the base 2 number with the largest possible exponent to the decimal number, and do this until you reach 0. The exponent of base 2 will be the position of 1s (Note: Add 1 to the exponent to get their exact position counting from right) and in between them would be the 0s. 
  • Decimal to binary nos. example, for decimal no. 13, the binary no. would be 1101. (13 – 23– 22– 20) = 0, so there would be 1 at (3+1), (2+1), and (0+1) places from the right and 0 at the 2nd place resulting in 1 1 0 1. 

Logic Gates

  • Logic gates are the building block of digital electronics. These make decisions based on the combination of digital signals or inputs. There are seven basic logic gates: AND, OR, XOR, NOT, NAND, NOR, and XNOR.
  • The AND gate indicates that the output will only be “true” (1) if both the inputs are “true” (1), otherwise “false” (0). While the OR gate will give an output of “true” (1) if either or both of the inputs are “true” (1). And, the XOR gate (exclusive – OR) will only give an output of “true” (1) if either and not both of the inputs is “true”(1).
  • The NOT gate is a logical inverter, this gate only reverses the function or result of the gate before it. NAND gate reverses the AND gate, if the inputs are both “true” (1) then the output will be “false” (0), otherwise “true” (1). In the NOR gate if the inputs are either or both “true” (1) the output is “false” (0). In the XNOR gate (exclusive-NOR) if the input is only either and not both “true” (1), then it is “false” (0).

Components

  • Digital electronics contain different components that can be divided into two categories, active and passive components. 
  • The active components require an external power source to modify and control electrical signals. Examples are diodes, transistors,
    and batteries.
  • Diodes are used to allow the flow of current in a certain direction. A transistor is a semiconductor device with three terminals that are used to amplify signals and serve as switching devices. Lastly, batteries convert chemical energy to electrical energy, serving as a source of energy.  
  • Passive components only need the current traveling through the circuit to function. Examples are resistor, conductor, and inductor.
  • Resistors oppose the flow of current and work based on Ohm’s law, while capacitors and inductors are used to store electrical energy in the magnetic field. The capacitor has an insulator between its conducting plates which resists the change in current. 

Advantages

  • The two branches of electronics are digital and analog electronics. Digital electronics are efficient, noise-free, and flexible. Digital devices are mostly short, portable, and lightweight.
  • Analog electronics contain issues like inaccuracy, time delay, and noise. Analog devices are mostly big and heavy.
  • The advantage of digital electronics is it reduces the sizes of the devices. Its information occupies less space while still retaining its quality. It is important in our era of miniaturization, where small sizes with great performance are preferable.
  • Digital electronics also offer flexibility. The functions of the circuits can be changed using software without entirely changing the actual circuit. 
  • Digital electronics are also cheap and reliable. Due to its smaller size, it requires lesser and smaller components, it is cheaper and easier to design. Also, it is more reliable as it is noise-free. 

Applications

  • Digital electronics helped tremendously in technological advancement in recent decades. It makes large-scale production and miniaturization possible while also improving the performances. That’s why digital devices are widely used in various fields. 
  • In computations and entertainment, there are desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, etc. which are designed with super
    fast-speed microprocessors.
  • In the medical field, there are radiology, MRI, X-rays, and more which are used to diagnose, monitor, and treat illnesses.
  • In industrial applications, we have automatic systems which are based on digital electronic devices to help in running and controlling the system, like chips, modems, and servers. 
  • In telecommunication, we use digital communication to transmit signals with the best quality at the fastest time possible. We have cellular phones, fiber optic cables, routers, modems, satellites, etc. 
  • In the military field, there are digital electronics like navigation, radars, and guidance systems that are used to monitor air, land, space, and water. 
  • In Agriculture, satellites can be used for agricultural crop cultivation. The emitting rays from satellites can be used for artificial heating. 

Digital Electronics Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Digital Electronics across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Digital Electronics, which is a branch of electronics that studies digital signals and the engineering of different devices that use them.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  • Digital Electronics Facts
  • Am I Digital or Analog?
  • Decipher the Message
  • Encode Me!
  • Get Pass the Logic Gates
  • Digital Electronic Timeline
  • Why Digital?
  • Active vs. Passive
  • True or False
  • Am I Important?
  • Build Your Own

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of digital electronics?

There are many examples of digital electronics in the modern world. A few include computers, digital cameras, smart appliances, tablets and smartphones, digital TVs, and USB memory storage.

What are digital electronics used for?

Digital electronics are used to transform analog signals into digital form. This is most frequently applied for audio and visual signals.

How do digital electronics work?

Digital electronics work by means of binary numbers and logic gates. These allow electronics to make decisions based on the combination of digital signals or inputs.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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