Finite State Machines

By Mike Chen

Finite State Machines

vs.
Combinational Logic Units
Combinational logic units are a type of logic
circuit whose output is a pure function of the
present input only.
Finite State Machines, used in sequential logic,
have outputs that depend on both the present
input as well as the history of the input.

A Finite State Machine

A sequential logic unit which
Takes an input and a current state
Produces an output and a new state

It is called a Finite State Machine because it can

have, at most, a finite number of states.
It is composed of a combinational logic unit and
flip-flops placed in such a way as to maintain
state information.

Representing a Finite State Machine

It can be represented using a state transition
table which shows the current state, input, any
outputs, and the next state.
Input0

Input

Input1

Inputn

Curren
t State

State0
State1
.
Staten

Next State / Output

.
.
.

.
.
.

Next State / Output

.
.
.

Representing a Finite State Machine

It can also be represented using a state
diagram which has the same information as the
state transition diagram.
Input / Output

State0

State1

Input / Output

Example 1:
A Modulo-4 Synchronous Counter
Counts from 0 to 3 and then repeats.
It has a clock input (CLK) and a RESET input.
Outputs appear as a sequence of values (q1 and
q0) at time steps corresponding to the clock.
As the outputs are generated, a new state (s1s0) is
generated which takes on values of 00, 01, 10,
and 11 and are fed back to the input.

The Mod-4 Counter

Requires four states, encoded in binary, with at
least two bits for them to be encoded uniquely.

A = 00
B = 01
C = 10
D = 11

The input requires only a single bit.

0|1

State Transition Diagram for

the Mod-4 Counter

State Table for the Mod-4 Counter

State Assignment for

the Mod-4 Counter

Truth Table for the Mod-4 Counter

Logic Design for Mod-4 Counter

Example 2:
A Sequence Detector
Design a sequence detector using D flip-flops
and 8-to-1 multiplexers.
The sequence detector outputs a 1 when
exactly two of the last three inputs are 1.
An input of 011011100 produces
the output of 001111010

There is a one-bit serial input line and we will

assume that initially no inputs have been seen.
Note: the sequence detector cannot output a 1
until at least three inputs have been read.

The Sequence Detector

There are a total of eight sequences that the
machine can observe:
000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, 111

We will assume that state A is the initial state

where no inputs have been fed into the machine.
In states B and C, only one input has been fed into
the machine and therefore we cannot output a 1.

State Transition Diagram for

the Sequence Detector

State Table and State Assignment

for the Sequence Detector

Truth Table for the

Sequence Detector

Creating the Circuit for the

Sequence Detector
There needs to be one flip-flop for each state
variable, so a total of three are needed.
Also, there are three next state functions and one
output function, so four 8-to-1 multiplexers are
needed.

Logic Diagram for the

Sequence Detector

Example 3:
A Vending Machine Controller
Design a vending machine controller using D-flip
flops and a Programmable Logic Array (PLA).
The vending machine accepts three types of
inputs: a nickel (5), a dime (10), or a quarter
(25).
When the value of the total inserted coins equals
or exceeds 20, the machine dispenses the
merchandise, returns any excess change, and
waits for the next transaction.

The Vending Machine Controller

For simplicity, we will assume that if the machine
currently has 15 and the user inserts a quarter, the
merchandise will be dispensed, 15 will be returned,
and the machine will keep 5 and await for more
money.
This way, we can use 4 states to represent all
possible states:
A (00) = 0
B (01) = 5

C (10) = 10
D (11) = 15

We will need two bits each to uniquely encode all

possible states as well as inputs.

State Transition Diagram for

the Vending Machine

Input /
Output2Output1Output0

Input = Nickel | Dime | Quarter

Output2 = 1|0 = Dispense / Do not dispense
merchandise
Output1 = 1|0 = Return / Do not return a nickel
in change
Output0= 1|0 = Return / Do not return a dime in

State Table and State Assignment

for the Vending Machine

Present State =
sn
Input = xn
Output = zn

Truth Table for the

Vending Machine

For the FSM circuit, we will need:

Two D flip-flops to represent the
two state bits.
PLA that takes four inputs (two
for the present state bits and two
for the coin bits) and has five
outputs (two for the next state
bits and three for the dispense
and return bits).

s1 s2 x1 x0 s1 s0 z2 z1 z0
0 0

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

5 0

6 0

7 0

8 1

9 1

10 1

11 1

12 1

13 1

14 1

15 1

Logic Design for the Vending Machine

x1

z2

x0

z1

5x5
PLA

z0

Assumes the clock input is

asserted only on an event such
as the user inserting a coin into
the machine.

D
s0
CLK

D
s1