Customer Reviews

Digital Electronics

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I just finished a college level digital electronics course based on this text. The approach in this book is very difficult. The initial material on number systems and basic gates is OK. Once you get into circuits and devices, it is increasingly difficult to follow. The authors attempt to explain complex circuits by delving through the details of the internal circuits without providing an adequate overview first. It's kind of like trying to understand an elephant by examing its skin under a magnifying glass.

The lab book that goes along with this text is a horror show. Breadboarding the complex circuits is time consuming and subject to error. That winds up being the focus of the exercise; just getting the circuits to operate. There's not near enough emphasis on examining operation of the circuits once they're built. Students would be better served by a course that teaches fundamentals very thoroughly, instead of taking a cursory approach to teaching a whole bunch of stuff. There are also numerous errors in the lab book, which makes it even more frustrating.

I've spent some time looking for a good course on the subject and have yet to find one. It just doesn't seem as if acadameia has figured out how to deal with this subject.

This volume by Bignell and Donovan provides a foundational understanding for the beginning student in digital electronics. The theoretical and practical combine to lend a comprehensive introduction to the field. Each edition has offered expanded coverage that keep the contents current and relevant to the most recent discussions and advances. Clear objectives and a carefully thought out structure make the volume a pedagogical treasure.

Even more helpful than edition 3, and I didn't think that possible.