Application of Boolean Algebra

Formulating Equations

Example
Mary watches TV if it is Monday night and she
has finished her homework.
Let F = 1 iff Mary watches TV
Let A = 1 iff it is Monday night
Let B = 1 iff she has finished her homework

Then F = A . B

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DeMorgan’s Theorem

Example
Mary doesn’t watch TV if it is not Monday night
or she has not finished her homework.
Let F = 1 iff Mary watches TV
Let A = 1 iff it is Monday night
Let B = 1 iff she has finished her homework

Then F’ = A’ + B’ or F = (A’ + B’)’

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 Specification by Truth Table

Input - 3-bit number, ABC

Design a circuit whose output is 1 when
the input >= 0112
A B C X
0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 A
0 1 0 0
0 1 1 1
B N>=310 X
1 0 0 1 C
1 0 1 1
1 1 0 1
1 1 1 1

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 Conversion of TT to expression
m3 m4 m5 m6 m7
A B C X minterms X = A’BC + AB’C’ + AB’C + ABC’ + ABC
0 0 0 0 A’B’C’ m0
0 0 1 0 A’B’C m1
= A’BC + AB’(C+C’) + AB(C+C’) assoc.
0 1 0 0 A’BC’ m2 = A’BC + AB’ + AB X+X’=1
0 1 1 1 A’BC m3
1 0 0 1 AB’C’ m4 = A’BC + A(B’+B) assoc.
1 0 1 1 AB’C m5
1 1 0 1 ABC’ m6
= A’BC + A X+X’=1
1 1 1 1 ABC m7 = BC + A A’X+A=X+A
C
BC
A B A+BC
B N>=310 X
C A

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 Minterms

Minterms are products that involve all
the input variables.
m0 m1 m2 m3 m4 m5 m6 m7
# A B C a’b’c’ a’b’c a’bc’ a’bc ab’c’ ab’c abc’ abc
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
6 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
7 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Any function may be constructed by a sum-of-minterms.
Each minterm contributes a ‘1’ to the result for a particular
input combination.
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 Maxterms

Maxterms are sums that involve all the
input variables.
M0 M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7
# A B C (a+b+c) (a+b+c’) (a+b’+c) (a+b’+c’) (a’+b+c) (a’+b+c’) (a’+b’+c) (a’+b’+c’)
0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1
3 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
4 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1
5 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1
6 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1
7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
Any function may be constructed by a product-of-maxterms.
Each maxterm contributes a ‘0’ to the result for a particular
input combination.
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Minterms and Maxterms

Think about each minterm or maxterm
contributing a ‘1’ or ‘0’ to the result.

# A B C minterms maxterms
0 0 0 0 A’B’C’ m0 A+B+C M0
1 0 0 1 A’B’C m1 A+B+C’ M1
2 0 1 0 A’BC’ m2 A+B’+C M2
3 0 1 1 A’BC m3 A+B’+C’ M3
4 1 0 0 AB’C’ m4 A’+B+C M4
5 1 0 1 AB’C m5 A’+B+C’ M5
6 1 1 0 ABC’ m6 A’+B’+C M6
7 1 1 1 ABC m7 A’+B’+C’ M7

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Minterms and Maxterms

Any expression may be expanded into SOP
using minterms or a POS using maxterms

These forms are unique (effectively they are
a direct rendering of the truth table as a
equation).

Terms used: minterm expansion, maxterm
expansion, ‘standard forms’ or canonical
forms.

Truth-table or algebraic expansion may be
used to obtain the expressions.

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Minterm expression from TT
A B C X minterms
0 0 0 0 A’B’C’ m0
0 0 1 0 A’B’C m1
0 1 0 0 A’BC’ m2
Each minterm
0 1 1 1 A’BC m3
1 0 0 1 AB’C’ m4 contributes a 1
1 0 1 1 AB’C m5 to the result
1 1 0 1 ABC’ m6
1 1 1 1 ABC m7

F will be true whenever any minterm is true

F(A,B,C) = A’BC + AB’C’ + AB’C + ABC’ + ABC
= m3 + m4 + m5 + m6 + m7
= Σm(3,4,5,6,7)
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Maxterm expression from TT
A B C X maxterms
0 0 0 0 A+B+C M0
0 0 1 0 A+B+C’ M1
0 1 0 0 A+B’+C M2 Each maxterm
0 1 1 1 A+B’+C’ M3 contributes a 0
1 0 0 1 A’+B+C M4 to the result
1 0 1 1 A’+B+C’ M5
1 1 0 1 A’+B’+C M6
1 1 1 1 A’+B’+C’ M7

F will be false whenever any maxterm is false

F(A,B,C) = (A+B+C) (A+B+C’) (A+B’+C)
= M0M1M2
= ΠM(0,1,2)
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 Algebraic Minterm Expansion

Change to SOP form and expand each product using
(X+X’) = 1

Example: F(a,b,c,d) = a’(b’+d)+acd’
= a’b’ + a’d + acd’
= a’b’(c+c’)(d+d’) + a’d(b+b’)(c+c’) + acd’(b+b’)
= a’b’(c’d’+c’d+cd’+cd)+a’d(b’c’+b’c+bc’+bc)+
ab’cd’+abcd’
= a’b’c’d’+a’b’c’d+a’b’cd’+a’b’cd+
a’b’c’d+a’b’cd+a’bc’d+a’bcd+
ab’cd’+abcd’
= m0+m1+m2+m3+m1+m3+m5+m7+m10+m14
= m0+m1+m2+m3+m5+m7+m10+m14
= Σm(0,1,2,3,5,7,10,14)
= ΠM(4,6,8,9,11,12,13,15)
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 Algebraic Maxterm Expansion

Change to POS form and expand products using x=(x+y)(x+y’)

Example: F(a,b,c,d) = a’(b’+d)+acd’
= (a+(b’+d)) (a’+acd’) xz+x’y=(x+y)(x’+z)
= (a+b’+d) (a’+cd’) x+x’y=x+y
= (a+b’+d) (a’+c) (a’+d’) z+xy=(z+x)(z+y), x’y+x=y+x
= (a+b’+c’+d) (a+b’+c+d) (a’+b’+c) (a’+b+c) (a’+b’+d’)
(a’+b+d’) x=(x+y)(x+y’)
= (a+b’+c’+d) (a+b’+c+d) (a’+b’+c+d’) (a’+b’+c+d)
(a’+b+c+d’) (a’+b+c+d) (a’+b’+c’+d’) (a’+b’+c+d’)
(a’+b+c’+d’) (a’+b+c+d’)
= M6 • M4 • M13 • M12 • M9 • M8 • M15 • M13 • M11 • M9
= M4 • M6 • M8 • M9 • M9 • M11 • M12 • M13 • M13 • M15
= ΠM(4,6,8,9,11,12,13,15)

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Minterm ⇔ Maxterm

Want ⇒
Minterm Maxterm Minterm Maxterm
Have expansion expansion expansion expansion
⇓ of F of F of F’ of F’

Maxterms Minterms
Maxterms
Minterm are those are those
are those on
expansion not on the not on the
the minterm
of F minterm list minterm list
list of F
of F of F
Minterms Minterms Maxterms
Maxterm are those are those on are those
expansion not on the the not on the
of F maxterm list maxterm list maxterm list
of F of F of F

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 Minterm ⇔ Maxterm - Example

Want ⇒
Minterm Maxterm Minterm Maxterm
Have expansion expansion expansion expansion
of F of F of F’ of F’
⇓

Minterm F(a,b,c) = F(a,b,c) = F(a,b,c) = F(a,b,c) =

expansion Σm(1,4,5,7) ΠM(0,2,3,6) Σm(0,2,3,6) ΠM(1,4,5,7)
of F

Maxterm F(a,b,c) = F(a,b,c) = F(a,b,c) = F(a,b,c) =

expansion ΠM(1,4,5,7) Σm(0,2,3,6) Σm(1,4,5,7) ΠM(0,2,3,6)
of F

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Exercise

Convert the following expressions to
minterm and maxterm forms (as
appropriate):

F(a,b,c) = a+b.c

F(w,x,y) = Π(1,3,5,6,7)

F(u,v,w) = Σ(1,3,5,6,7)

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 Exercise – Working
F(a,b,c) = a+b.c

F(u,v,w) = Σm(1,3,5,6,7) F(w,x,y) = ΠM(1,3,5,6,7)

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 Exercise – Solution *
F(a,b,c) = a+b.c
= ab’c’ + a’b’c + ab’c + abc + a’bc + abc
= m4 + m5 + m6 + m7 + m3 + m7
= m3 + m4 + m5 + m6 + m7
= Σ (3,4,5,6,7)
= Π (0,1,2)
= (a+b+c)(a+b+c’)(a+b’+c)

F(u,v,w) = Σm(1,3,5,6,7) F(w,x,y) = ΠM(1,3,5,6,7)

= ΠM(0,2,4) = Σm(0,2,4)

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 Combining Minterm Expr’ns.
Minterms
from either
A B C F G F.G F+G
expression
0 0 0 1 0 0 1
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 F = Σm(0, 3,4, 6,7)
0 1 0 0 1 0 1
0 1 1 1 1 1 1
G = Σm( 2,3,4, 7)
1 0 0 1 1 1 1 F.G = Σm( 3,4, 7)
1 0 1 0 0 0 0
1 1 0 1 0 0 1 F+G = Σm(0, 2,3,4, 6,7)
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Minterms
common to both
expressions
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 Combining Minterm Expr’ns.

When ANDing two minterm expressions
the resulting minterm expression only
contains the minterms common to both
expressions.

When ORing two minterm expressions
the resulting minterm expression
contains the minterms from either
expressions.

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 Combining Maxterm Expr’ns.
Maxterms
from either
A B C F G F+G F.G
expression
0 0 0 1 0 1 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 F = ΠM( 1,2, 5)
0 1 0 0 1 1 0 G = ΠM(0,1, 5,6)
0 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 1 1 1 1 F+G = ΠM( 1, 5)
1 0 1 0 0 0 0
1 1 0 1 0 1 0 F.G = ΠM(0,1,2, 5,6)
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Maxterms
common to both
expressions
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 Combining Maxterm Expr’ns.

When ORing two maxterm expressions
the resulting maxterm expression
contains the maxterms common to both
expressions.

When ANDing two maxterm expressions
the resulting maxterm expression
contains the maxterms from either
expressions.

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Exercise

Find minterm and maxterm expressions
for the following equations in F(a,b,c):
Σm(1,3,5,6,7)
ΠM(2,3,4,5)
Σm(1,3,5,6,7) + Σm(0,1,6,7)
Σm(1,3,5,6,7) • Σm(0,1,6,7)
ΠM(0,2,4) + ΠM(2,3,4,5)
ΠM(0,2,4) • ΠM(2,3,4,5)

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 Exercise – Working
Σm(1,3,5,6,7) = ΠM
ΠM(2,3,4,5) = Σm

Σm(1,3,5,6,7) + Σm(0,1,6,7) = Σm
= ΠM
Σm(1,3,5,6,7) • Σm(0,1,6,7) = Σm
= ΠM
ΠM(0,2,4) + ΠM(2,3,4,5) = ΠM
= Σm
ΠM(0,2,4) • ΠM(2,3,4,5) = ΠM
= Σm
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 Exercise – Solution *
Σm(1,3,5,6,7) = ΠM(0,2,4)
ΠM(2,3,4,5) = Σm(0,1,6,7)

Σm(1,3,5,6,7) + Σm(0,1,6,7)= Σm(0,1,3,5,6,7)

= ΠM(2,4)
Σm(1,3,5,6,7) • Σm(0,1,6,7) = Σm(1,6,7)
= ΠM(0,2,3,4,5)
ΠM(0,2,4) + ΠM(2,3,4,5) = ΠM(2,4)
= Σm(0,1,3,5,6,7)
ΠM(0,2,4) • ΠM(2,3,4,5) = ΠM(0,2,3,4,5)
= Σm(1,6,7)
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Incompletely Specified Functions

Sometimes the required function is not
fully specified for all input combinations

Either
1. We don’t care what happens at the output for
that situation, or
2. That particular input can’t occur because of
some other constraint outside the circuit we are
dealing with and hence 1 applies.

These input combinations lead to “don’t
care” outputs.

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Don’t Cares (Don’t Minds?)

A B C F
F=Π
ΠM(2,4,5) • ΠD(1,6)
0 0 0 1 F=Σ
Σm(0,3,7) + Σd(1,6)
0 0 1 X
0 1 0 0
0 1 1 1
1 0 0 0
Don’t care
1 0 1 0 entries
1 1 0 X
1 1 1 1

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 Example

1-bit Binary Adder
A B S C
0 0 0 0 A S
0 1 1 0 Sum(A,B)
B C
1 0 1 0
1 1 0 1

S = A’B + AB’ = Σm(1,2) = ΠM(0,3) = A⊕B

C = A.B = Σm(3) = ΠM(1,2,4)

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Example - 2-bit Binary Adder
AB CD XYZ
00 00 000 2
00 01 001 A,B 3
00 10 010 2 Sum(A,B) X,Y,Z
00 11 011 C,D
01 00 001
01 01 010
01 10 011 X = Σm(7,10,11,13,14,15)
01 11 100
10 00 010 Y = Σm(2,3,5,6,8,9,12,15)
10 01 011
10 10 100 Z = Σm(1,3,4,6,9,11,12,14)
10 11 101
11 00 011
11 01 100
11 10 101
11 11 110

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Exercise

Design a minterm expression for a
circuit that takes a 4-bit BCD number
as input and has a single output that is
true when the number is prime. (We’ll
assume 1 is prime!)

Determine the maxterm expression
that has the same function.

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Exercise - Working

F(a,b,c,d) =

F(a,b,c,d) =

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Exercise - Solution *

F(a,b,c,d) = Σm(1,2,3,5,7) +
Σd(10,11,12,13,14,15)

F(a,b,c,d) = ΠM(0,4,6,8,9) •
ΠD(10,11,12,13,14,15)

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Logic Polarity

The choice of which level signal is
‘active’ in a digital circuit is quite
arbitrary. For example, most reset
inputs on counters, flip-flops and
microcontrollers have effect when they
are taken low.

Such an input is said to be active when
low or “active low”.

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Active Low

reset* reset

Component with
The star (‘*’) is used to active-low reset input
The circuit is reset
indicate a signal with
whenever the input
an active-low polarity. goes low.

The notation is not used consistently!

Sometime written reset.

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Mixed Logic Example

-ve Logic +ve Logic

Error1*
AnyError
Error2*

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To Do

Add more examples/exercises

English description

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