4.1 Computers and Electricity
Any given electronic signal has a level of voltage. As we mentioned in the last chapter, we distinguish between the two values of interest (binary 0 and 1) by the voltage level of a signal. In general, a voltage level in the range of 0 to 2 volts is considered “low” and is interpreted as a binary 0. A signal in the range of 2 to 5 volts is considered “high” and is interpreted as a binary 1. Signals in a computer are constrained to be within one range or the other.
A gate is a device that performs a basic operation on electrical signals. It accepts one or more input signals and produces a single output signal. Several types of gates exist; we examine the six most fundamental types in this chapter. Each type of ...
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