Vijay KumarKnowledge Contributor
What is a multiplexer and what is its function in digital circuits?
What is a multiplexer and what is its function in digital circuits?
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A multiplexer (MUX) is a digital circuit component used in digital electronics to select one of several input signals and route it to a single output line. Its primary function is to perform data selection or data routing based on a selection input. Here’s a brief explanation:
Function:
A multiplexer takes multiple input lines (often denoted as D0, D1, D2, …, Dn) and a selection input (S), and it selects one of the input lines based on the value of the selection input.
The selected input signal is then routed to the output line of the multiplexer.
The number of input lines determines the number of selectable data sources, while the selection input specifies which input is chosen.
Multiplexers are commonly used for data selection, channel selection, input/output routing, and signal switching in digital systems.
Operation:
When the selection input (S) has a particular binary value, it activates one of the input lines, allowing the corresponding input signal to propagate to the output.
The multiplexer routes the selected input signal to its output line, while the other input signals remain inactive and do not affect the output.
Multiplexers are often controlled by additional logic circuits or control signals to dynamically switch between different data sources or channels based on system requirements.
Applications:
Multiplexers are widely used in various digital systems, including communication systems, data acquisition systems, memory systems, and arithmetic circuits.
In communication systems, multiplexers are used for time-division multiplexing (TDM) and frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) to combine multiple signals into a single transmission channel.
In data acquisition systems, multiplexers select different sensor inputs for analog-to-digital conversion, allowing the system to monitor multiple sensor readings with a single ADC.
In memory systems, multiplexers are used for address decoding to select specific memory locations or peripheral devices based on memory address inputs.
In arithmetic circuits, multiplexers are used for data routing in arithmetic and logic units (ALUs) to select input operands and control arithmetic operations.