Finite State Machines

Dr DC Hendry

February 13, 2006

This lecture begins with short investigation of counter circuits as a simple exam-
ple of a finite state machine. This is followed by general definitions of the two
classes of finite state machine, Moore machines and Mealy machines. In this
lecture we will concentrate upon manual design methods as a means of ensuring
understanding of the basic concepts. In the next lecture we will look at VHDL
descriptions of the same circuits.

1 Synchronous Counters

A synchronous circuit is one in which all flip-flops are clocked by the same
signal. This design approach ensures that combinational logic circuits driven by
these same flip-flops have predictable timing, that is, data is available at a given
point in time determined by the clock signal, and that data must be supplied
to flip-flops at a known point in time.

1.1 Design of a Synchronous Modulo 8 Counter

The overall construction of a synchronous counter consists of a register (a bank

of n flip-flops), and next state combinational logic:
1.1 Design of a Synchronous Modulo 8 Counter FSMs

Next Reg-
State ister
Combin-
ational D Q
Logic Current
State
Next
State
Clk

The contents of the register, which is also the input to the combinational logic,
are referred to as the current state of the machine, while the output of the
combinational logic block, which is also the input to the register, is referred to
as the next state of the machine. On the arrival of the active edge of the clock
signal, the next state is copied to the current state.

Suppose the register contains the binary data for the number 5, that is, 101,
then the next state logic is designed so that for an input of 5, the output is
6. On the next active edge of the clock, the contents of the register would be
incremented from 5 to 6.

The combinational logic, the next state logic, needs to be designed to cater not
just for the input 5 with output 6, but all inputs and outputs needed. These
can be derived from a next state table. Next state tables come in two types, an
unassigned state table and an assigned state table. For the modulo 8 counter
the two tables are:

The unassigned state table: and the assigned state table:

Current Next Current Next
State State State State
0 1 000 001
1 2 001 010
2 3 010 011
3 4 011 100
4 5 100 101
5 6 101 110
6 7 110 111
7 0 111 000
In this table states are referred to by In this table all states are assigned a bi-
names or numbers. nary code.

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1.1 Design of a Synchronous Modulo 8 Counter FSMs

In this case the decision as to which binary code will represent each state is
trivial, it is simply the binary representation of the decimal number.

In this case, since there are only 8 states, we need only three bits to represent
all states. The register, or state register, will therefore consist of three flip-flops.
The schematic for the modulo 8 counter now becomes:

D2 D Q
Q2
Next

State Q

Logic

D1 D Q
Q1

D0 D Q
Q0

Clk

From the assigned state table we can construct three K-Maps, one for each of
the outputs of the next state logic, D0 , D1 and D2 . Assume that D2 is the most
significant bit, take the K-Map for D2 :

D2 Q2 Q1
00 01 11 10
 
0 0 0
1 1
Q0 
1 0
1 0
1

Giving the Boolean equation for D2 as:

D2 = Q2 Q0 + Q2 Q1 + Q2 Q1 Q0

In a similar manner Boolean equations may be derived for the signals D1 and
D0 , as follows:

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1.2 State Diagram View FSMs

D1 Q2 Q1
00 01 11 10
 
0 0
1 1 0
Q0  
1 1 0 0
1

Giving:

D1 = Q1 Q0 + Q1 Q0

D0 Q2 Q1
00 01 11 10
 
0
1 1 1 1
Q0
1 0 0 0 0

Giving D0 = Q0 .

1.2 State Diagram View

Although not particularly useful for a counter, the state diagram, or state bubble
view, is more useful for more complex designs. Here is the state diagram for the
modulo 8 counter:

7 1

6 2

5 3
4

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1.3 Counters with Control Inputs FSMs

1.3 Counters with Control Inputs

For many counters, and for the majority of finite state machines, one or more
control inputs can affect the next state for a given current state. In the case of
counters such a control input could determine whether the counter counts up
or counts down on each clock edge.

Take the case of a modulo 4 counter with an up/down control line, the unas-
signed state table becomes:

Current up/down
State 0 1
0 3 1
1 0 2
2 1 3
3 2 0

and the assigned state table is:

Current up/down
State 0 1
Q1 Q0 D1 D0 D1 D0
00 11 01
01 00 10
10 01 11
11 10 00

The Boolean equations for the signals D1 and D0 are then calculated from the
assigned state table. The inputs to the combinational logic are now Q1 , Q0 and
up/down. Denoting the up/down signal by u, gives the K-Maps:

D1 Q1 Q0 D0 Q1 Q0
00 01 11 10 00 01 11 10
   
0
1 0
1 0 0 1 0 0 1
u   u
1 0
1 0
1 1 1 
0 0 
1

D0 = Q0
D1 = Q1 Q0 u+Q1 Q0 u+Q1 Q0 u+Q1 Q0 u

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 FSMs

2 Moore and Mealy Machines

In this section a more general form of sequential circuit will be considered -

that referred to as a finite state machine. Such circuits are very commonly used
in control logic. Finite state machines, or FSMs, may be categorised into two
types, Moore machines, and Mealy machines. The difference between the two
may seem to be slight, but the effects of the differences can be crucial.

3 Moore Machines

A Moore machine has the following block diagram:

Inputs Next
State Reg Output
Logic Logic

clock

1. The next state logic and the register (Reg) play a similar role to the same
components in the counter.
2. Control inputs, in addition to the current state, determine the next state
of the machine.
3. The outputs of the machine are now obtained via a new block, the output
logic from the current state.

4 Mealy Machines

A Mealy machine has the following block diagram:

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 FSMs

Next
Inputs State Reg Output
Logic Logic

clock

1. Very similar to the Moore machine, except that the control inputs are now
also input to the output logic.
2. Like the Moore machine, the next state depends upon the current state
and the control inputs.
3. Unlike the Moore machine the outputs now depend upon both the current
state and the control inputs.

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