1. What is a Shift Register?

A shift register is a digital circuit that can store and shift data. It consists of a chain of flip-flops connected in series, where the output of one flip-flop is connected to the input of the next.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator simulates the operation of a shift register:

Where:

• state — Current binary state of the register
• bit — Input bit to be shifted in (0 or 1)
• Shift — Direction of shift (left or right)

Explanation: For left shift, all bits move one position to the left, the leftmost bit is discarded, and the new bit is inserted at the right. For right shift, the opposite occurs.

3. Applications of Shift Registers

Details: Shift registers are used in serial-to-parallel conversion, parallel-to-serial conversion, sequence generators, delay circuits, and as simple data storage elements.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the initial state as a binary string (e.g., "1010"), select the input bit (0 or 1), and choose the shift direction (left or right). The calculator will show the new state after the shift operation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between left and right shift?
A: Left shift moves bits toward the most significant bit (MSB), while right shift moves them toward the least significant bit (LSB).

Q2: What happens to the bit that's shifted out?
A: In this basic implementation, it's discarded. Some shift registers have output taps to capture the shifted-out bit.

Q3: Can I use hexadecimal input?
A: This calculator only accepts binary input for simplicity. Convert hex to binary first if needed.

Q4: What about arithmetic vs logical shift?
A: This calculator implements logical shift. Arithmetic shift preserves the sign bit in signed numbers.

Q5: How does this relate to circular shift?
A: Circular shift would feed the shifted-out bit back in instead of discarding it. This is a simple linear shift.