| Several people gave some examples, but the best examples are ones that can be easily translated into the formal finite-state machine design methodology. That is, the distinct states need to be identified, and the specific inputs and outputs that determine the transitions between the states need to be identified. It's also important not to use a finite state machine where simple logic would be sufficient. So for example, operating the light in a fridge would be a bad example, because the state of the light is just a function of the state of the door (door open = light on, door closed = light off). A better example might be the operation of the digital temperature control in a fridge using only two buttons as input and a digital display (eg, the desired temperature) as the output. |