Latches

• A Flip-Flop circuit can maintain a binary state indefinitely (as long as

power is delivered to the circuit), until directed by an input signal to
switch states.
• Latches are the basic circuit from which all Flip-Flops are constructed.

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Dr. Ihab Talkhan
SR-Latch (NOR gates)

Action Q
Q R S
reset
Set 0 1 0 1
state 0 1 0 0
Reset 1 0 1 0
State 1 0 0 0
Undefined 0 0 1 1
set

SR-Latch with NOR gates

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Dr. Ihab Talkhan
SR-Latch (NAND gates)

Action Q
Q R S
set
Set 0 1 1 0
state 0 1 1 1
Reset 1 0 0 1
State 1 0 1 1
Undefined 1 1 0 0
reset

SR-Latch with NAND gates

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Dr. Ihab Talkhan
 SR-Latch (NAND gates)

set
Next state of Q R S C
No change X X 0
No change 0 0 1
Q=0 : reset state 1 0 1
Q=1 : set state 0 1 1
undetermined 1 1 1

reset

SR-Latch with NAND gates

and a control input
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Dr. Ihab Talkhan
D-Latch

Next state of Q D C

No change X 0

Q=0: reset state 0 1

Q=1: set state 1 1

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Dr. Ihab Talkhan
Master-Slave Flip-Flop
• It consists of two Latches and an inverter.
• When clock pulse input C=“1”, then the output of the inverter is “0”. Thus the
Master is enabled and its output Y is equal to the external input D and the Slave is
disabled.
• When clock pulse input C=“0”, then the output of the inverter is “1”. Thus the
Slave is enabled and its output Q is equal to the Master output Y and the Master
is disabled.
• Any changes in the external D input changes the master output Y but cannot
affect the Slave output Q.

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Dr. Ihab Talkhan
 MASTER SLAVE

External D D

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Dr. Ihab Talkhan