Electronics Engineering (ELEX) Board Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT a major component of a sequential logic system?

1. XOR gates

2. Flip-flops

3. Latches

4. Registers

The correct answer is: XOR gates

A sequential logic system primarily consists of components that store state information and manage the timing of operations based on clock signals. The major components include flip-flops, latches, and registers, which all play a critical role in maintaining and managing the state of the system over time. Flip-flops are fundamental storage elements that change their output in response to clock signals, making them essential for building complex sequential circuits. Latches are similar but are level-sensitive devices that also store states but may respond to input signals when enabled, rather than being clock-driven. Registers, which are collections of flip-flops, are used to hold binary information and facilitate data transfers in digital circuits. XOR gates, while important in various digital logic circuits for performing operations like bitwise exclusive OR, are not specifically a major component utilized for state storage or timing control in sequential logic systems. They are primarily combinational logic elements used in arithmetic logic and decision-making processes rather than in storage or clock-driven state maintenance. Therefore, identifying XOR gates as the one that does not fit as a major component of sequential logic systems is correct.