Discuss the difference between latches and flip-flops:
The biggest difference I took away from latches vs. flip-flops, is that a latch does NOT have a clock signal, but a flip flop will always have a clock signal. Another difference between the two is that latches are “asynchronous” and flip-flops are just synchronous. (dept-info.labri.fr) This means that for a latch, when an input signal is received, the output signal changes very soon after. Flip-flops being synchronous however, means that when the input changes, then the output changes as well simultaneously, acting as if it were on a “clock signal” Flip-flops are very much the same as a “relay” in the sense that when a relay changes, all signals on one side flop down, making contact to all signals on the other side, so that all signals make contact simultaneously.
Discuss the applications of flip-flops:
One great example of flip-flops is a register at a store. A register holds data inputted into it by a cashier. Say you load a set amount of cash in the register for the day to give change to customers, well as you set the initial “amount” the register stores that data, in a form of binary 1’s and 0’s. Well when that register gets new money into it, there are flip flops in the circuitry internal to the register that detect that data you are inputting into the register and they automatically flip or flop over at the same time in order to transmit that certain response back to the cashier.
Another great example of this is RAM. RAM is used in computers and different types of information processing systems. Well, flip flops can be used to read and write memories (RAM) that were created by that information processing system, or computer, and deliver the data when needed when it is being requested.
SOURCES:
Flip-Flop Circuit Types and Its Applications. (2016, May 11). ElProCus – Electronic Projects for Engineering Students. https://www.elprocus.com/digital-electronics-flip-flop-circuit-types-and-applications/
Latches and flip-flops. (n.d.). Dept-Info.labri.fr. https://dept-info.labri.fr/~strandh/Teaching/Architecture/Common/Strandh-Tutorial/flip-flops.html