Bebop to the Boolean Boogie, 3rd Edition

Chapter 12. State Machines

“Is That a Gizmo in Your Pocket, Or …”

Consider a coin-operated machine that accepts nickels and dimes^[1] and, for the princely sum of fifteen cents, dispenses some useful article called a “gizmo” that the well-dressed man-about-town could not possibly be without.^[2] We may consider such a machine to comprise three main blocks: a receiver that accepts money, a dispenser that dispenses the “gizmo” along with any change, and a controller that oversees everything and makes sure things function as planned (Figure 12.1).

¹ For the benefit of those readers who do not reside in the United States, nickels and dimes are American coins worth five and ten cents, respectively.

² I always carry two in case of an emergency.