20+ Cerium Systems Interview Questions and Answers

1 NAND gate can be used to make 2 combinations of inverter.

• A NAND gate can be used to make an inverter by connecting both inputs together.

• The output of the NAND gate will be the inverted input.

• Thus, there are 2 possible combinations of inverter using just 1 NAND gate.

Implement 2 stage XOR gate using 2 stage NAND gate.

• Construct 2 stage NAND gate using 4 NAND gates.

• Connect the output of first stage NAND gate to the input of second stage NAND gate.

• Connect the output of second stage NAND gate to the input of first stage NAND gate.

• The output of second stage NAND gate is the output of the XOR gate.

A diode is an electronic component that allows current to flow in one direction only. Power amplifiers are electronic devices that increase the power of a signal.

• A diode is made up of a p-type and n-type semiconductor material.

• It is commonly used in rectifiers, voltage regulators, and signal demodulators.

• Power amplifiers are used to increase the power of a signal, such as in audio systems or radio transmitters.

• They can be classified as Class A, B, AB, or C amplifiers dependin...read more

Ring, Johnson, Sync and Async counters are types of digital counters used in electronics.

• Ring counter is a circular shift register with only one flip-flop set to 1 at a time.

• Johnson counter is a modified ring counter with complemented output of the last flip-flop fed back to the input.

• Sync counters use a common clock signal for all flip-flops while Async counters use individual clock signals.

• Examples of Sync counters are binary, decade, and BCD counters while examples of Asyn...read more

Race around condition occurs when two or more signals are changing at the same time, leading to unpredictable output. It can be overcome by using flip-flops.

• Race around condition is a digital logic problem that occurs when two or more signals change at the same time, leading to unpredictable output.

• It can be overcome by using flip-flops, which store the input signal and only change the output signal when the clock signal changes.

• For example, in a counter circuit, if the clock...read more

C is a programming language used for system programming. Pointers are variables that store memory addresses. Dynamic memory is memory allocated during runtime.

• C is a low-level language used for system programming

• Pointers are variables that store memory addresses

• Dynamic memory is memory allocated during runtime

• Pointers are used to manipulate memory and improve performance

• Dynamic memory allocation is done using functions like malloc() and calloc()

Blocking waits for a process to complete before moving to the next, while non-blocking allows for concurrent execution.

• Blocking assignments use '=' operator, while non-blocking use '<=' operator.

• Blocking assignments are executed sequentially, while non-blocking assignments are executed concurrently.

• Blocking assignments are used for combinational logic, while non-blocking assignments are used for sequential logic.

• Example: Blocking - a = b; Non-blocking - a <= b;

Universal gates are logic gates that can be used to implement any Boolean function.

• Universal gates are NAND and NOR gates.

• They are called universal because they can be used to implement any Boolean function.

• This is because NAND and NOR gates are functionally complete.

• This means that any Boolean function can be expressed using only NAND or NOR gates.

• Other gates like AND, OR, and NOT gates are not functionally complete.

• For example, an AND gate cannot implement a NOT function.

• Un...read more

I know about various protocols such as TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, SMTP, etc. that are used for communication over networks.

• TCP/IP is a suite of protocols used for communication over the internet.

• HTTP is used for communication between web servers and clients.

• FTP is used for file transfer between computers.

• SMTP is used for email communication.

• Other protocols include DNS, SSH, Telnet, etc.

Implementing dff using 2:1 mux

• Connect the input to the select line of the mux

• Connect the output of the mux to one of the inputs of the mux

• Connect the output of the dff to the other input of the mux

• Connect the output of the mux to the input of the dff

Synchronous counters are digital circuits that use clock signals to synchronize the counting process.

• Synchronous counters are also known as parallel counters.

• They use flip-flops to store the count value.

• The clock signal is applied to all the flip-flops simultaneously.

• Synchronous counters are faster and more reliable than asynchronous counters.

• Examples of synchronous counters include binary, decade, and BCD counters.

Using 2:1 mux, implement inverter, AND gate, OR gate.

• For inverter, connect one input to select line and other input to ground

• For AND gate, connect one input to select line and other input to input signal, output is inverted

• For OR gate, connect one input to select line and other input to input signal, output is not inverted

• Use truth tables to verify functionality

Grey code is a binary numeral system where two successive values differ in only one bit.

• To convert Grey code to binary, start with the most significant bit and XOR each bit with the previous bit.

• For example, to convert Grey code 1010 to binary: 1 XOR 0 = 1, 0 XOR 1 = 1, 1 XOR 1 = 0, 0 XOR 1 = 1. So, the binary equivalent is 1101.

The Boolean expression of a circuit represents its logic functionality using logical operators.

• Identify the logic gates used in the circuit (AND, OR, NOT, etc.)

• Create a truth table to determine the output for all possible input combinations

• Write the Boolean expression based on the truth table and logic gates used

Latch is level sensitive while flip flop is edge sensitive. Flip flop has clock input while latch does not.

• Latch is level sensitive, meaning it changes output based on the input level, while flip flop is edge sensitive, changing output on clock edge

• Flip flop has clock input to control when the output changes, while latch does not have a clock input

• Flip flop is more commonly used in sequential circuits for storing data, while latch is used in level triggered circuits

Flip-flop is clocked while latch is level triggered.

• Flip-flop is edge-triggered while latch is level-triggered.

• Flip-flop stores data on the rising or falling edge of the clock signal.

• Latch stores data when the enable signal is high.

• Flip-flops are used in synchronous circuits while latches are used in asynchronous circuits.

• Examples of flip-flops are D flip-flop, JK flip-flop, T flip-flop. Examples of latches are SR latch, D latch.

Physical design flow involves converting a logical design into a physical layout.

• The process starts with floorplanning and power planning

• Placement and routing are done to create a physical layout

• Timing analysis and optimization are performed to meet timing constraints

• Design rule check (DRC) and layout versus schematic (LVS) checks are done to ensure correctness

• Finally, the layout is verified through signoff checks before tapeout

A 32:1 mux can be implemented using 2:1 mux by cascading them in multiple stages.

• Divide the 32 inputs into groups of 2 and use 2:1 mux to select one of the inputs from each group.

• Cascading 16 such 2:1 muxes will give 16 outputs.

• Again divide the 16 outputs into groups of 2 and use 2:1 mux to select one of the outputs from each group.

• Cascading 2 such 2:1 muxes will give the final output.

Flip-flop conversion from DFF to JKFF

• Determine the excitation table for JK flip-flop

• Use the excitation table to derive the input equations for J and K

• Replace D input with J and K inputs in DFF circuit

• Verify the functionality of the converted JKFF circuit

Shift registers are sequential circuits that can store and shift data bits.

• Shift registers are made up of flip-flops that store data bits.

• Data can be shifted left or right through the register.

• Shift registers can be used for serial-to-parallel or parallel-to-serial conversion.

• Examples of shift registers include the Serial-in-Parallel-out (SIPO) and Parallel-in-Serial-out (PISO) registers.

Johnson counter is a type of shift register circuit used in digital electronics.

• It is a synchronous counter with a feedback path.

• It has a sequence of states that are repeated in a cyclic manner.

• It has a maximum count of 2^n where n is the number of flip-flops used.

• It is used in applications such as frequency division, digital clocks, and sequence generation.

• Example: A 4-bit Johnson counter has 8 states and can be used to generate a sequence of 8 different outputs.

Tasks are concurrent and functions are sequential in execution.

• Tasks can run concurrently and can communicate with each other using shared variables.

• Functions are executed sequentially and return a value to the calling function.

• Tasks can be used for parallel processing and can be scheduled by the operating system.

• Functions are used for modular programming and can be called from other functions or tasks.

• Example: A task can be used to read data from a sensor while a function ca...read more

The question is about CMOS, MUX, and Verilog coding.

• CMOS stands for Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor and is a type of technology used in integrated circuits.

• A MUX (multiplexer) is a device that selects one of several input signals and forwards the selected input into a single output line.

• Verilog is a hardware description language used to model digital circuits and systems.

• Verilog code for a 2:1 MUX: module mux(output reg out, input a, b, select); always @(*) begin if(s...read more

A 4:1 mux can be implemented using two 2:1 muxes.

• Connect the select line of both 2:1 muxes to the same select line of the 4:1 mux.

• Connect the output of one 2:1 mux to the input of the other 2:1 mux.

• Connect the inputs of both 2:1 muxes to the corresponding inputs of the 4:1 mux.

• The output of the 4:1 mux is the output of the second 2:1 mux.

Verilog supports various data types including integer, real, reg, wire, and time.

• Integer data type is used for whole numbers

• Real data type is used for decimal numbers

• Reg data type is used for sequential logic

• Wire data type is used for combinational logic

• Time data type is used for simulation time

• Data types can be declared using keywords like 'integer', 'real', 'reg', 'wire', and 'time'

• Data types can also be declared with bit width, such as 'integer [7:0]'

• Data types can be assi...read more

Explaining latch and flip-flop differences and advantages of clock in VLSI engineering.

• Latches are level-sensitive while flip-flops are edge-sensitive

• Latches are faster but consume more power than flip-flops

• Flip-flops are more reliable and less prone to glitches than latches

• Clocks are used to synchronize the operation of digital circuits

• Advantages of clock include reducing power consumption, improving timing accuracy, and simplifying circuit design

Synchronous counters use clock signal to change state while asynchronous counters use external inputs.

• Synchronous counters change state on every clock pulse

• Asynchronous counters change state based on external inputs

• Synchronous counters are faster and more reliable

• Asynchronous counters are simpler and cheaper

• Example of synchronous counter: Johnson counter

• Example of asynchronous counter: Ripple counter