In the image above Oscium's logic analyzer, Logiscope, and an iPad monitor numerous logic states in a micro controller implementation of a common traffic intersection. There are traffic lights in the model indicating travel for pedestrians, and cars traveling north and south, and cars traveling east and west. The finite state machine model is frequently used in programming as a basis for controlling a system with multiple inputs and outputs. Texas Instrument's TM4C123G 64-pin Cortex M4 micro controller and LaunchPad evaluation board provide the programmable control for the system.

Simple Finite State Machines

A finite-state machine (FSM) is a model used to design computer programs and sequential logic circuits. Finite state machines are system models characterized by the following:

• A particular FSM is defined by a list of its states and the triggering condition for each transition
• The machine is in only one state at a time
• The state it is in at any given time is called the current state
• It can change from one state to another when initiated by a triggering event or condition
• The next state and output of an FSM is a function of the input and of the current state.