:PROPERTIES: :ID: 659ca8e1-12cc-4fde-81ab-a9abad3aa5bb :mtime: 20231011033309 :ctime: 20231011033222 :END: #+title: Ripple Carry Adder #+filetags: :public:project: * Definition A Ripple Carry Adder (RCA) is a special type of digital circuit which can add arbitrariliy long binary numbers. An RCA is typically implemented by chaining together $n$ [[id:4970a149-da47-4d9e-91cb-98be7f082be2][Full Adder]]. The name comes from how the carry bit "ripples" through each of the full adders. * Slowness RCAs are too slow, because the carry bit has to ripple all the way through. To solve this, we have designed faster adders.