<hardware> A digital logic device that stores the status of its "D" input whenever its clock input makes a certain transition (low to high or high to low). The output, "Q", shows the currently stored value. Compare J-K flip-flop. (1995-03-28)

<hardware> (Or "RS flip-flop") A "set/reset" flip-flop in which activating the "S" input will switch it to one stable state and activating the "R" input will switch it to the other state. The outputs of a basic SR flip-flop change whenever its R or S inputs change appropriately. A clocked SR flip-flop has an extra clock input which enables or disables the other two inputs. When they are disabled the outputs remain constant. If we connect two clocked SR flip-flops so that the Q and /Q outputs of the first, "master" flip-flop drive the S and R inputs of the second, "slave" flip-flop, and we drive the slave's clock input with an inverted version of the master's clock, then we have an edge-triggered RS flip-flop. The external R and S inputs of this device are latched on one edge (transition) of the clock (e.g. the falling edge) and the outputs will only change on the next opposite (rising) edge. If both R and S inputs are active (when enabled), a {race condition} occurs and the outputs will be in an indeterminate state. A JK flip-flop avoids this possibility. http://play-hookey.com/digital/logic4.html. (1997-05-15)

<hardware> An edge triggered SR flip-flop with extra logic such that only one of the R and S inputs is enabled at any time. This prevents a race condition which can occur when both inputs of an RS flip-flop are active at the same time. In a JK flip-flop the R and S inputs are renamed J and K. The set input (J) is only enabled when the flip-flop is reset and K when it is set. If both J and K inputs are held active then the outputs will change ("togle") on each falling edge of the clock. JK flip-flops can be used to build a binary counter with a reset input. http://play-hookey.com/digital/logic7.html. [Was it named after Jack Kilby?] (2004-07-17)