Final answer:
Flip-flops are preferred over latches in sequential designs due to their edge-triggered operation providing controlled timing and enhanced noise immunity, thus ensuring better predictability and reliability in digital circuits.
Step-by-step explanation:
Flip-flops are used in sequential circuit design instead of latches primarily because of two reasons:
- Controlled Timing: Flip-flops are edge-triggered devices that change their state at the edge of the clock signal, providing precise control over timing. This ensures that all flip-flops in a system can change their states synchronously on the clock edge, preventing the issues with timing and data propagation that can occur in level-triggered latches.
- Noise Immunity: Due to the edge-triggered nature, flip-flops are less sensitive to glitches and noise than latches. Latches, being level-sensitive, can unintentionally change their state if noise is present on the enable line when it is supposed to be stable, leading to potential errors in state or data.
By using flip-flops in a digital design, one achieves better predictability and reliability in sequential circuits.