Abstraction simplifies the design process
We've seen already
- Digital interpretation of analog values (binary voltages)
- Transistors as switches
- Switches as logic elements
Higher-level abstractions
- Symbolic representations of logic-circuit behavior
- Logic devices as idealized Boolean primitives
- Ignore the electrical characteristics of the devices, wire, etc.
- Finite-state behavior of sequential systems
- Systems transition between finite number of states
- Steady-state abstraction ? clock hides transient behavior