CLB

In the 2010/2011 winter semester, as part of the "Digital Logic" course, all students were able to build their own experimental circuit board for the first time, enabling them to implement various digital circuits quickly and easily.

The experimental board follows the basic principles of a so-called Programmable Logic Device (PLD): it contains digital logic modules that can be configured into different digital circuits via jumpers. This is why it is called a "Configurable Logic Board" or CLB for short. The CLB is used during ongoing exercises and offers students the opportunity to practically implement and test many of the tasks (including homework).

The background to this is the observation that many students from previous semesters can design digital circuits with logic gates on paper, but in some cases do not know what an integrated circuit(IC) containing such a logic gate actually looks like or how such a circuit is implemented. On the other hand, the practical relevance should already be established in the first weeks of the course.

With the CLB, applications of the following topics of the course can be realized:

• Combinatorial circuits (up to 4 inputs)
• Asynchronous switching systems
• Synchronous automata (0-3 inputs, 1-2 state bits)
• Arithmetic circuits

It is also possible to connect several CLB boards in series to realize larger circuits (see photo below right).

The circuit board is assembled in blocks of four hours during the first four weeks of the semester. At the beginning of each block (soldering pool) there is an introduction to the assembly and instructions are given on how to use the soldering iron correctly. Students who have never worked with a soldering iron before are then given individual instruction in soldering. During the set-up, students are supervised by research assistants and tutors.

In order to be able to simulate more complex circuits, the department provides a CLB simulator. You can find more information and download options on our CLB simulator page.

CLB assembly instructions

CLB operating instructions

Anyone who has already set up a CLB in previous winter semesters can/should continue to use it.

The CLB will be set up in supervised soldering pools as part of the "Digital Logic" course. For the first weeks of the winter semester 16/17, we will provide the times and places listed below in our rooms. The allocation to the times is done by means of lists in front of room 0334.