Wagner Lipnharski wrote:

> Greg Brault wrote:
> >
> > priority chip # is 74148
> >
>
> Tell me which button would be the higher order, I will be there.
> If everybody presses the button at the same time, I will always win.
> According to my point of view, this is not the best chip for the job.
> Simple J-K flip-flops would work better, then feed them to the 148.
> Wagner

The J-K flops of course make absolutely no difference. But things get
worse. This problem is of the general class called synchronizers.
And even N-Flops and the analog-analog circuits have  race
or latchup conditions. Long ago I was taught that this is an
unsolvable problem and could be proved to be so. The teachers
were Marvin Minsky and John McCarthy among others and the
argument started over the design of some synchronisers for
memory systems in the computers they were using. Although
I didn't totaly follow the argument at the time it was of the nature
of a law of physics or mathemetics (or death and taxes). It was
calculated that the memory systems would lock up about once every
ten years. Nobody confirmed this experimentaly.

R.Martin