A bistable multivibrator, also known as a flip-flop, is an electronic circuit capable of storing binary information or digital data. It has two stable states, hence the name "bistable," and can maintain these states indefinitely until an external trigger or control signal is applied to change its state.
There are two common types of bistable multivibrators: the SR flip-flop (Set-Reset flip-flop) and the D flip-flop (Data flip-flop).
SR Flip-Flop:
The SR flip-flop has two inputs: S (Set) and R (Reset). When certain combinations of these inputs are applied, the flip-flop will change its state. It can be in one of two states: SET (Q = 1, Q̅ = 0) or RESET (Q = 0, Q̅ = 1). Here, Q represents the normal output, and Q̅ (Q-bar) represents the complement of the output.
When S = 1 and R = 0, the flip-flop will be set to the SET state. Conversely, when S = 0 and R = 1, the flip-flop will be set to the RESET state. When both S and R are 0, the flip-flop will hold its current state.
D Flip-Flop:
The D flip-flop has a single input called D (Data) and a clock input (usually denoted by CLK). When the clock signal transitions from one state to another (rising edge or falling edge), the D flip-flop captures and stores the input data D. The D flip-flop's output Q will then become equal to the input D, and the complementary output Q̅ will be the complement of D.
The D flip-flop can be seen as a simplified version of the SR flip-flop, where the input D is connected to the S input, and the complement of D is connected to the R input.
Both types of flip-flops are fundamental building blocks in digital logic circuits and play a crucial role in storing binary information. They are used in computer memory elements, registers, counters, and various sequential logic applications. The ability to maintain a stable state until a new input is applied makes bistable multivibrators valuable for storing and manipulating binary data in digital systems.