Lab 1: Digital Logic Gates

Kevin Bradshaw
ECEN 248, Section 302
TA: Daniel Mcbride
Due date: June 17, 2014

Objectives:
The purpose of this lab is to understand the basic outputs of logic gates. Understanding these
gates will demonstrate the ability to build a simple circuit while learning how to use the lab
equipment properly. The outcome of this lab should show that the predicted truth tables for logic
gates should match the experiment.

Design
The design for this lab is included in the lab manual and data sheet.

Results
Each gate performed properly, yielding these results. As expected, these results match the truth
tables provided in the data sheets for the logic gates. All the output voltages lie in a moderate
range within each other depending on low or high.
Experiment 1
Table 1: Truth Table for Inverter (NOT Gate)
A (High / Low)
Y (Volts)
Y ( High / Low)
4.42 V
High
Low
192 mV
Low
High

A (H/L)
Low
Low
High
High

A (H/L)
Low
Low
High
High

Experiment 2
Table 2: Truth Table for AND & OR Gates
B (H/L)
AND2 (V)
AND2 (H/L)
OR2 (V)
148 mV
Low
167 mV
Low
147 mV
Low
4.38 V
High
146 mV
Low
4.38 V
Low
4.4 V
High
4.38 V
High
Table 3: Truth Table for NAND, NOR, & XOR Gates
B (H/L)
NAND2
NAND2
NOR2
NOR
XOR2
(V)
(H/L)
(V)
(H/L)
(V)
3.93 V
High
4.42 V
High
155 mV
Low
3.93 V
High
115 mV
Low
4.39 V
High
3.93 V
High
115 mV
Low
4.39 V
Low
110 mV
Low
97.8 mV
Low
158 mV
High

OR2 (H/L)
Low
High
High
High

XOR2
(H/L)
Low
High
High
Low

Conclusion
In this lab, six types of gates were implemented and evaluated on the breadboard. In order to see
if the circuit was working properly, the truth tables from the data sheet were compared to the
truth tables of the gate responses. All the gate output voltages fell in a good range within each
other. The high voltages all landed between 3.9 - 4.4 V and the low voltages all landed between
110 - 170 mV. This matched very closely to the expected results. This lab demonstrated how to
properly wire simple circuits and use the lab equipment safely meanwhile proving the concepts
learned in the class.

Questions
1. What did you like most about the lab assignment and why? What did you like least about it
and why?
As a first look on logic gate implementation, this lab consisted of interactive learning with gate
outputs. This being the first for many students, it was a great way to tie in how truth tables are
built to prove that these gates follow a specific voltage behavior. It also helped to show how
these gates can be used to manipulate voltages.
Recording the results and comparing them to previous truth tables proved how these gates
worked. There should have been a third part of the lab to combine at least two different gates and
draw our own truth table beforehand, then actually test it. Instead, the lab just consisted of the
proofs and no further experimentation.
2. Were there any sections of the lab manual that were unclear? Do you have any suggestions for
improving the clarity?
The lab manual could have given more detail about the Tektronix Oscilloscope to help the
students better understand how to use it during the experiment.
3. What suggestions do you have to improve the overall lab assignment?
Overall, this was a good beginner's lab but could consist of at least one student design with a
minimum of 2 gates to help show how voltages can be manipulated in several different ways.
This design could be recorded on the lab report with its respective truth table.