Sequential machines (or state machines) carry out operations in a sequence of steps.
Synchronous sequential machines are those whose operation is governed by a system clock signal; such machines move from state to state only at times determined by the clock.
Sequential machines that are not synchronous are called asynchronous.
When a sequential machine has only a finite number of states, it is called a finite state machine (FSM).
Unlike combinational systems, state machines have memory. The state is remembered.
ANU Engineering - ENGN3213