DIGITAL TECHNICS

Dr. Blint Pdr

buda University,
Microelectronics and Technology Institute
1. LECTURE:
COMBINATONAL CIRCUITS BASIC CONCEPTS

1st (Autumn) term 2014/2015

INTRODUCTION
First lecture contents:
1. General introduction to the course
2. Combinational circuits: basic concepts with examples
3. Boolean algebra and logic functions: a review
Aims and scope of the course:
This course will give an overview of the basic concepts and
applications of digital technics, from Boolean algebra to
microprocessors.
The lectures will cover more advanced materials and subjects than
those contained the introductory three semester course of the B.Sc.
programme. It will focus more on the general concepts of the subject
and less on the practical details.
In this respect it is supposed that the students have already a good
foundation and a certain level of hands-on experience in digital
technics and electronics.
2

TOPICS IN FOCUS
Basic concepts of digital technics
Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs) and Field
Programmable Gate Arrays (FGPAs)

Digital (combinational) design and synthesis

Synchronous sequential circuits analysis and synthesis
Arithmetic circuits, adders and multipliers
MOS, CMOS and VLSI digital circuits.
3

A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL

CIRCUITS AND NETWORKS
Digital electronics can be found in many applications in the form of microprocessors, microcontrollers, PCs, and an uncountable number of other
systems. The design of digital circuits has progressed from resistortransistor logic (RTL) and diode-transistor logic (DTL) to transistortransistor logic (TTL) and emitter-coupled logic (ECL) to complementary
metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic circuits.
The density and number of transistors in microprocessors has increased
from 2300 in the 1971 4-bit 4004 microprocessor to 25 million in the more
recent IA-64 chip and it is projected to reach over one billion by 2010.
The change that has enabled the widespread economical use of digital
logic has been a dramatic evolution in device technology, which is most
spectacularly described by Moore`s law. Logic circuits comprising of
several basic electronic devices (typically transistors, resistors, and
diodes), were once designed with each device as a separate physical
entity.

A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL

CIRCUITS AND NETWORKS
Now, very large-scale integration of devices offers up to several
thousand or even millions of equivalent basic devices on the surface
of a small piece of silicon wafer, typically rectangular with a maximum
dimension of a few tens of millimeters per side.
The dramatic reduction in size has been accompanied by a number
of effects. The power consumption and cost per logic device have
been greatly reduced. The cheap digital watch or the basic electronic
calculators that can run for over a year on tiny battery, or the recent
laptop computers having an affordable price, exemplify these effects.

MOORES LAW
Gordon Moore (co-founder of Intel) predicted in 1965, just four years after
the first planar integrated circuit was discovered, that the number of
transistors per integrated circuit would double every 18 months.
He forecast that this trend would continue through 1975.
Moore's Law has been maintained
for far longer, it has become a
universal law of the entire semiconductor industry. It still holds
true as we enter the second
decade of new century.
Moores law is about
human ingenuity not physics.

MOORES LAW

The INTELs gurus:

A. Groove, R. Noyce
G. Moore INTEL,1970

Logic technology node and transistor gate length versus calendar year.
Note:
mainstream Si technology is nanotechnology.

COMBINATIONAL CIRCUITS:
AN INTRODUCTION WITH EXAMPLES
Digital/logic circuits/networks can be classified into two groups:
1. Combinational logic networks
Results of an operation depend only on the present inputs to the
operation.
Uses: perform arithmetic, control data movement, compare values for
decision making.
2. Sequential logic networks
Results depend on both the inputs to the operation and the result of the
previous operation.
Uses: counters, controllers, etc.

COMBINATIONAL CIRCUITS:
GENERALIZED MODEL AND PROPERTIES
Combinational
circuit
Yi = Fi (A, B, ..., N) i = 1, 2, ... M
Black-box model of combinational circuits.
The combinational circuit maps an input (signal) combination to an
output (signal) combination.
A combinational circuit is a circuit with no memory.
The same input combination always implies the very same output
combination (except transients).
The reverse is not true. For a given output combination different input
combinations can belong.

EXAMPLE: 1-BIT FULL ADDER

Its function is to add two bits and the carry from the previous
position, and to generate the sum and the carry

S = S(A,B,Cin)

Cout = C(A,B,Cin)

A
B
Cin

S
Full adder

Cout

The full adder as a combinational logic circuit will be used throughout in

these lectures as vehicle to demonstrate and explain various concepts
in digital logic
10

FULL ADDER: BOOLEAN FUNCTIONS

Sum
__
_ _
__
Si = AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1

Carry
_
_
_
Ci = AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1
= AiBi + AiCi-1 + BiCi-1
The sum can be expressed as a three-variable exclusive OR
function (Si = AiBiCi).
The carry is the three-variable majority function and can also
be expressed in various other algebraic forms.
11

ON THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE FULL ADDER
A possible technique for implementing the 1-bit full adder is to generate
the two relevant logic function directly
__
_ _
__
Si = AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1 + AiBiCi-1
Ci = AiBi + AiCi-1 + BiCi-1
Both require a two level AND-OR circuitry, therefore the time required to
achieve the sum and the carry is equal to the propagation delay of two
gates, or 2 tpd.
An other possibility is to generate the sum using XOR gates.

12

FULL ADDER: GENERAL RELEVANCE

The full adder is the fundamental building block in many arithmetic
circuits, such as adders and multipliers.

Since these circuits strongly affect the overall performance in current

digital ICs, their speed optimization is crucial in high performance
applications, and typical applications require a tradeoff between power
consumption and speed.
In addition, as arithmetic circuits significantly contribute to the overall
power budget, their power consumption reduction becomes the main
objective to pursue in low-power ICs used in portable electronic
equipment.

13

FULL ADDER IMPLEMENTED IN CMOS

The simplest forms of the sum and carry function are (written in a
form appropriate to CMOS implementation)
_ _ _
__
S = C(A B + A B) + C(A B + A B)
Cout = A B + C(A + B)
This is easily implemented using standard CMOS principles. The
total transistor count is 34.
The disadvantage is that the circuit uses the negated values of the
inputs too.

FULL ADDER IMPLEMENTED IN CMOS

This disadvantage can be avoided, if the negated value of the
generated carry Cout is used to calculate the sum according to

Cout = A B + C(A + B)
___
S = (A + B +C )Cout + A B C
In this case the time delay of the sum will be larger, because three
inverting operation is performed, but this is not relevant in a parallel
(ripple-carry) adder, because the time necessary for a multi-bit
addition is determined by the propagation time of the carry.
The equivalent logic diagram and the transistor level CMOS circuit
diagram is shown below.

CMOS FULL ADDER LOGIC DIAGRAM

Cout = A B + C(A + B)
__
S = (A + B +C )Cout + A B C
16

STATIC 28-T CMOS FULL ADDER

VDD
VDD
A

Ci

B
A

B
B

Ci
A

Ci

VDD

Ci

A
Ci

VDD
A
Co

Cout = A B + C(A + B)
___
S = (A + B +C )Cout + A B C

Ci

28 transistors

LOGIC OR BOOLEAN ALGEBRA

A SHORT OVERVIEW
OR BOOLEAN ALGEBRA IN A
NUTSHELL
Logic circuits are the basis for modern digital computer and other digital
systems. To appreciate how digital systems operate one needs to
understand digital logic and Boolean algebra.
Boolean logic forms the basis for computation in modern binary computer
systems. One can represent any algorithm, or any electronic computer
circuit, using a system of Boolean equations.

18

BOOLEAN ALGEBRA: ITS ROOTS

The Boolean algebra is a brand of mathematics that was first
developed systematically, because of its applications to logic, by the
English mathematician George Boole, around 1850.
A modern engineering application is to switching, digital and
computer circuit design.
Contributions by Augustus De Morgan (contemporary of Boole) and
by Claude Shannon (1930ies and 1940ies) are also important.

19

BOOLEAN ALGEBRA AND DIGITAL CIRCUITS

The connection between Boolean algebra and switching circuits has
been established by Claude Shannon in the 1930s.
Boolean algebra is the main analytical tool for the analysis and synthesis
of logic circuits and networks.
Boolean logic
Rules for handling Boolean constants and variables that can take on 2
values
True/false; on/off; closed/open; yes/no; 1/0; high/low (voltage)
3 fundamental operations: AND, OR and NOT

20

10

BOOLEAN ALGEBRA: RELEVANCE

In the 1930s, while studying switching circuits, Claude Shannon observed
that one could also apply the rules of Boole's algebra in this setting, and he
introduced switching algebra as a way to analyze and design circuits by
algebraic means in terms of logic gate.

Shannon already had at his disposal the abstract mathematical apparatus,

thus he cast his switching algebra as the two-element Boolean algebra.
In circuit engineering settings today, there is little need to consider other
Boolean algebras, thus "switching algebra" and "Boolean algebra" are often
used interchangeably.
Efficient implementation of Boolean functions is a fundamental problem in
the design of combinational circuits.
Modern electronic design automation tools for VLSI circuits often relay on
an efficient representation of Boolean functions like (reduced ordered)
binary decision diagrams (BDD) for logic synthesis and formal verification.

22

11

BOOLEAN OPERATORS
AND
Result TRUE if and only
if both input operands are true
C=AB
OR
Result TRUE if any input operands
are true
C=A+B

1
23

CMOS IMPLEMENTATION: AND, OR

AND gate

OR gate

C=AB

C=A+B
24

12

BOOLEAN OPERATORS
NOT
Result TRUE if single input value is
FALSE
C=A

Implementation
A

_
A

25

BOOLEAN OPERATORS: EXCLUSIVE-OR

EXCLUSIVE-OR
Result TRUE if either A or B is
TRUE but not both
C=AB
Can be derived from OR, AND and NOT

B = (A + B) ( A B )

A xor B equals A or B but not both A and B

A B = (A B ) + ( B A )
A xor B = either A and not B or B and not A

The XOR is not a fundamental Boolean operator, it can

rather be considered as one of the (simplest) Boolean
functions.
Logic circuit families usually offer XOR gates too.

26

13

NOTATIONS: ENGINEERING VERSUS

MATHEMATICS
In electrical engineering and digital electronics the dot (), the plus
sign (+), and the overline (bar) are used for the logic operations of
AND, OR and NOT respectively.
In mathematics, more specifically in mathematical logic (Boolean)
algebra the respective notations are
(conjunction),
(disjunction), and
(negation).

27

AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR

All logic functions and circuits can be described in terms of the three
fundamental elements.
While the NOT, AND, OR functions have been designed as individual
circuits in many circuit families, by far the most common functions realized
as individual circuits are the NAND and NOR circuits. A NAND can be
described as equivalent to an AND element driving a NOT element.
Similarly, a NOR is equivalent to an OR element driving a NOT element.
The reason for this strong bias favouring inverting outputs is that the
transistor, and the vacuum tube which preceded it, are by nature inverters
or NOT-type devices when used as signal amplifiers. Electric and electronic
switches (gates) do not readily perform the OR and AND logic operations,
but most commercially available gates do perform the combined operations
AND-NOT (NAND) and OR-NOT (NOR).

28

14

BOOLEAN POSTULATES
1.

Boolean algebra is defined on a set of two-valued

elements

2.

Each element of the set has its complementary also

belonging to the set

3.

Logic operations: conjunction (logic AND) and

disjunction (logic OR)

4.

Logic operations are commutative, associative, and

distributive

5.

Special elements of the set are the unity (its value is

always 1) and the zero (its value is always 0)

29

MANIPULATE EXPRESSIONS
BOOLEAN MINIMIZATION
Need a way to manipulate expressions.
Rules of adding, multiplying plus associative, distributive laws etc. The
rules are very similar to basic algebra.
One can transform one Boolean expression into an equivalent expression by
applying the postulates the theorems of Boolean algebra. This is important if
one wants to convert a given expression to a canonical form (a standardized
form) or if one wants to minimize the number of literals (asserted or negated
variables) or terms in an expression. Minimizing terms and expressions can
be important because electrical circuits often consist of individual
components that implement each term or literal for a given expression.
Minimizing the expression allows the designer to use fewer electrical
components and, therefore, can reduce the cost of the system.

30

15

BOOLEAN THEOREMS
commutative law
A B = BA
A+ B= B +A
associative law
A (B C) = (A B) C = A B C
A + (B + C) = (A + B)+ C = A + B + C
distributive law
A (B + C) = A B + A C
A + (B C) = (A + B) (A + C)
The theorems above appear in pairs. Each pair form a dual.
31

DE MORGANS THEOREM
De Morgans theorem occupies an important place in the logic (Boolean)
algebra

A+ B=A B
A B =A+ B

In logic, De Morgans laws (or theorem) are rules in formal logic relating
pairs of dual logic operators in a systematic manner expressed in terms of
negation. De Morgans theorem may be applied to the negation of a
disjunction or to the negation of a conjunction in all part of a formula.

32

16

DE MORGANS THEOREM
Negation of a disjunction

A+ B=A B

Since two things are false, its also false that either of them is true.
Negation of conjunction

A B =A+ B
Since it is false that two things together are true, at last one of them
should be false.

33

DE MORGANS THEOREM ON THE K-MAP

A+ B=A B
A B =A+ B

Representation of De Morgans theorem on the Karnaugh map or Veitch

diagram.
34

17

DE MORGANS THEOREM
De Morgans formulation of his theorem influenced the algebraization of
logic undertaken by Boole, which cemented De Morgans claim to the find,
although a similar observation was made by Aristotle and was known to
Greek and Medieval logicians, e.g. to William Ockham (1325), the great
medieval scholastic philosopher.
In electrical engineering context the negation operator can be written as
an overline (bar) above the terms to be negated.
In the originate the mnemonic
break the line, change the operation

35

BOOLEAN THEOREMS: DUALITY

The theorems above appear in pairs. Each pair form a dual. An important
principle in the Boolean algebra system is that of duality.
Any valid expression one can create using the postulates and theorems of
Boolean algebra remains valid if you interchange the operators and
constants appearing in the expression. Specifically, if one exchanges the
(AND) and + (OR) operators and swaps the 0 and 1 values in an
expression, one will wind up with an expression that obeys all the rules of
Boolean algebra.
This does not mean the dual expression computes the same values, it only
means that both expressions are legal in the Boolean algebra system.
Therefore, this is an easy way to generate a second theorem for any fact
one proves in the Boolean algebra system.

36

18

GENERALIZED DE MORGANS
THEOREMS
The De Morgans theorem is an important tool in the analysis and
synthesis of digital and logic circuits. Its generalization to several
variables is stated below
_____
_ _ _
A B C ... = A + B + C + ...
________
__ _
A + B + C + ... = A B C ...

37

SHANNONS GENERALIZATION OF
DE MORGANS THEOREMS
The De Morgan-Shannons theorem refers to the logic or Boolean
functions constructed using logic multiplications and additions
_____________
_ _ _
f(A, B, C, ..., +, ) = f(A, B, C, ..., , +)
The negation of the function can be performed by negating each
variable and replacing all logic summations (ORs) with logic
multiplications (ANDs) and replacing all logic multiplications (ANDs)
with logic summations (ORs).

38

19

SHANNONS EXPANSION THEOREMS

__
F(X1, X2,Xn) = X1 F(1,X2,Xn) + X1 F(0,X2,Xn)
__
F(X1, X2,Xn) = X1 + F(0,X2,Xn) X1 + F(1,X2,Xn)

Application: decomposition of logic functions to smaller blocks, or for

implementation using MUX based logic cells

39

KEY APPLICATION OF
DE MORGAN THEOREM
AND operation using OR and NOT

A B = (A + B)
OR operation using AND and NOT

A + B = (A B)

40

20

LOGIC CIRCUITS IN PRACTICE

Any logic circuit can be implemented using only NAND or only NOR
operations.
In the transistor-transistor-logic (TTL) logic circuit system which is based
on silicon bipolar technology the NAND gate is the basic element.
In the logic circuit system based on silicon complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) technology the NOR gate is (mostly) the basic
element.

41

LOGIC GATES
Elementary building blocks of logic circuits.
They implement a basic logic operations.
Complex logic networks can be implemented by appropriate
interconnection of logic gates.
However nowadays: use more complex building blocks and
functional elements (complexity: few tens to few hundred gates), or
some kind of programmable logic devices (complexity up to ten
thousand gates or even more). E. g. the complexity of a 1 digit BCDto-seven segment display decoder is about 30 gates, of a 4-bit ALU
is less than 100 gates. Both are available in MSI in one package.

21

IMPLEMENTATION OF
COMBINATIONAL CIRCUITS
Any two-level AND-OR circuit (sum-of-products, SOP) can be
implemented using a two-level NAND-NAND circuit.
Any two-level OR-AND circuit (product-of-sums, POS) can be
implemented using a two-level NOR-NOR circuit.
All these are based on De Morgans theorem.

43

LOGICAL SYNTHESIS GUIDED BY

DE MORGAN THEOREM

44

22

WAYS TO DEFINE LOGIC FUNCTIONS

How to define a logic function?
There are several possible ways to do it.
Truth table or its special forms, like
- characteristic number
- canonical (algebraic) forms
(These are unique definitions with some conditions)
Developed in 1854 by George Boole
Further developed by Claude Shannon (Bell Labs)
Outputs are computed for all possible input
combinations
Graphic representation with Karnaugh map
(This one is unique too)
So called algebraic form, which is not unique.
Some appropriate function-definition language, like VHDL.

45

DEFINITION OF A LOGIC FUNCTIONS

BY ITS 1 VALUES
List the indices of those variable combinations to which a 1 value of the
function belongs to.
This kind of definition also needs the agreement on the weights of the
variables.
This definition is known as (extended) SOP (sum-of-products) or
disjunctive canonical form.
This definition is also unique similarly to the characteristic number.

46

23

THE SOP FORM OF THE MAJORITY GATE

Example: 3-input majority function/gate.
The (extended) SOP form for the 3-input majority gate is:
M = m3 + m5 +m6 +m7 = (3, 5, 6, 7)
Each of the 2n terms are called minterms, running from 0 to 2n 1
Note the relationship between minterm number and Boolean value.

Two-level AND-OR
implementation:
CMOS (SSI) implementation:
4062 logic dual majority gate

47

THE CONJUNCTIVE CANONICAL FORM

(EXTENDED) PRODUCT-OF-SUMS
There exist an other canonical form, the conjunctive canonical form, or
the (extended) product-of-sums (POS) form.
This is also unique.
The two canonical forms are equivalent and can be transformed into
each other using the De Morgan theorem.

48

24

DEFINITION OF A LOGIC FUNCTION

BY ITS MINTERMS
Example: 1-bit full adder
(4) (2) (1)
i

Sii Ci
Ai Bi Ci-1 D

0
0
0
0

0
0
1
1

0
1
0
1

0
1
1
0

0
0
0
1

1
1
1
1

0
0
1
1

0
1
0
1

1
0
0
1

0
1
1
1

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

SDi i = (1,2,4,7)
Ci = (3,5,6,7)
Si = m 13 + m 2 3 + m 43 + m 73 =
= 3(1,2,4,7)
_ _
E. g.

m23

= A B C, etc.
49

DEFINITION OF THE FUNCTION BY

CHARACTERISTIC NUMBER
Defining a logic function by its characteristic number
is unanimous only if the weights of the independent
variables are fixed beforehand.

50

25

THE DISJUNCTIVE CANONICAL FORM

(EXPANDED) SUM-OF-PRODUCTS
The minterms of all n-variable functions are n-literal products
Any logic function of n-variables can be defines by a sum of n-variable
minterms (sum of products, SOP)
This is unambiguous only if the weighing of the independent variables is
given.
Since logic summing is disjunction, this form is also known as disjunctive
canonical form of a logic function.
The corresponding SOP is termed as expanded sum-of-products form.

51

EXAMPLE:
THE TWO CANONICAL FORMS OF XOR
The (trivial) extended SOP form (disjunctive canonical form) of the XOR
function (F(A,B) = A B is
_
_
F = A B + A B = 2 (1,2)
The extended POS form (conjunctive canonical form) of the same function is
_
_
F = (A + B) (A + B) = 2 (0,3)

52

26

CANONICAL FORMS, MINTERMS, AND

PRIME IMPLICANTS
The standard sum-of-products form is also known as the minterm
canonical form or canonic sum function. It is a sum (OR) of minterms.
A minterm is also known as the standard product or canonic product
term. This is a term where each variable is used once and once only.

A prime implicant is an implicant of a function which does not imply any

other implicant of the function.

53

END OF MAIN PART OF THE LECTURE

AN APPENDIX FOLLOWS:
2-INPUT BOOLEAN FUNCTIONS

54

27

BOOLEAN FUNCTIONS
The one- and two-variable operations of Boolean algebra can be
considered as functions of one and two variables, respectively.
In the case of generalized functions the number of variables is extended
only.
n-variable Boolean or logic function
Z = f(X1, X2, .........Xn)
The particular truth value of Z is defined by the f function.

55

CLASSIFICATION OF BOOLEAN
FUNCTIONS OF TWO VARIABLES
Name of the function
f(A,B)

Logical constants
0, 1

Functions of one variable

A, A, B, B

AND, OR, NAND, NOR

AB, A+B, AB, A+B

XOR (AB ), XNOR (AB)

A B+A B, A B+A B

INHIBITION

A B, B A

IMPLICATION

A B, B A
56

28

BOOLEAN FUNCTIONS OF TWO VARIABLE

A B

f0

f1

f2

f3

f4

f5

f6

f7

f8

f9

f10 f11 f12 f13

f14 f15

0 0

01

10

11

VAGY

VAGY-NEM

S-NEM

AND

OR NOR

NAND

One variable
Egyargumentumos
One variable
Egyargumentumos
Logikai konstansok
Boolean
constants

57

THE 16 POSSIBLE BOLEAN FUNCTINS

OF TWO VARIABLES

58

29

BOOLEAN FUNCTIOS AND OPERATIONS

OF TWO VARIABLES: A SUMMARY
From the 16 possible two-variable Boolean functions

6 can be considered as trivial

(2 of them are constants, 4 of them are in fact
one-variable functions)
From the 10 non-trivial functions
2 (AND and OR) and their complementary
(AND-NOT and OR-NOT)
as well as the EXCLUSIVE-OR (antivalency)
and the EXCLUSIVE-NOR (equivalency)
are of significance for the practice.

59

IC IMPLMENTATION: 74HC/HCT181
Total 16 arithmetic operations (add, subtract, plus, shift, plus 12 others)
Total 16 logic operations (XOR, AND, NAND, NOR, OR, plus 11 others)
Capable of active-high and active-low operation

60

30