A Portable Finite State Machine Module Experiment for In-class Use in a Lecture-based Course

This paper presents an experimental module for teac hing finite state machine concepts. This module, designed for lecture-based courses, has bee n us d in 11 classes, and assessment has included 471 students. Students design the state m chine circuitry as a pre-lab and then build the design on a protoboard in class. The experimental platforms are low weight and powered by 3AA batteries for portability. The challenge of com pleting experiments during one 50 minute class session is discussed in this paper. Web supp ort includes an instructional video, a fundamental concepts tutorial, a virtual experiment , on-line quiz questions and assistance for instructors.