EEE 302:

DIGITAL ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS

GROUP 2: Simplification of Logic Expressions using
Karnaugh Map (K-Map) Method;
 Venn Diagram
 Maxterm
 Minterm
 Don't Care (X) Conditions in K-Maps
 Logic Simplication
 NAMES AND MATRIC NO. OF
PARTICIPANTS

1. OBIORAH NOBLE TOBECHUKWU

VUG/EEG/21/5395
2. OSHIOKHAMELE MARY OSHIONE
VUG/CEG/21/5234
3. AYUBA EMMANUEL USHE
VUG EEG 21 5427
4. IRHIA PROMISE OSALUMESE
VUG/CEG/21/5294
5. IHEOSONYE CALEB OSACHIOYAMEN
VUG/CEG/21/5249
Simplification of Logic Expressions using
Karnaugh Map (K-Map) Method
Introduction

The Karnaugh Map (K-Map) method is a graphical tool

used for simplifying Boolean functions. This method is
particularly valuable for reducing the complexity of digital
logic circuits, making it easier to design and implement
efficient systems. The K-Map method leverages visual
grouping to minimize Boolean expressions, avoiding the
often cumbersome algebraic simplification techniques.

Key Concepts

 Minterm:

A standard form of a Boolean expression where the

function is expressed as a sum (OR) of products
(AND). Each Minterm corresponds to a specific
combination of variables where the function evaluates to
true (1).

 Maxterm:

A standard form of a Boolean expression where the

function is expressed as a product (AND) of sums (OR).
Each Maxterm corresponds to a specific combination of
variables where the function evaluates to false (0).

 Don’t Care (X) Conditions in K-Maps:

Don’t Care conditions refer to situations where the

function can either be 0 or 1 without affecting the overall
functionality of the circuit. These conditions are
represented by 'X' in K-Maps and can be used to simplify
the Boolean expression further. By including Don’t Care
conditions in the groups of 1s or 0s, larger groups can be
formed, leading to a more simplified expression.

 Venn Diagrams and K-Maps:

Venn Diagrams use overlapping circles to represent sets
and their relationships. Each circle represents a variable,
and the shaded region within a circle signifies when that
variable is true (1). The overlap between circles depicts
combinations where both variables are true.While K-Maps
don't directly utilize Venn Diagrams, the concept of
overlapping sets translates to grouping in K-Maps.
Consider a function with two variables, A and B. Here's
how the concepts connect:

Venn Diagram:

i. A circle on the left represents variable A.

ii. A circle on the right represents variable B.
iii. The overlap between the circles represents the
combination where both A and B are true (AB).

K-Map (2 variables):

i. A 2x2 grid represents all possible combinations of A

and B.
ii. A 1 in a cell signifies the function output is true (1) for
that specific combination.

By analyzing the Venn Diagram, you can identify the

overlap region (AB) and translate it to the corresponding
cell in the K-Map. This visual understanding of sets and
overlaps helps grasp the grouping concept in K-Maps,
where you aim to combine adjacent 1s into the largest
possible groups.

Important Note:

Venn Diagrams become cumbersome for functions with

more than two variables. K-Maps are specifically designed
to handle a larger number of variables efficiently through
their grid structure.

Logic Simplification using K-Maps

Steps to Simplify Logic Expressions using K-Maps
1. Construct the K-Map:

Draw a grid with ( 2^n ) cells for ( n ) variables. Each cell

corresponds to a unique combination of variable
states. The number of cells is equal to the number of
possible combinations of the variables.

2. Fill the K-Map:

Place 1s in the cells corresponding to the minterms where

the function is true, 0s where it is false, and Xs where
there are Don’t Care conditions.

3. Group the 1s and Xs:

Group the adjacent 1s and Xs into the largest possible

power-of-2 rectangles (1, 2, 4, 8, etc.). Each group must
contain at least one 1 and can include multiple Xs. These
groups should be as large as possible to maximize
simplification.

4. Write the Simplified Expression:

For each group, write down the corresponding simplified

product term. The variables that change within the group
are omitted, and the ones that remain the same are
included. Each group represents a term in the simplified
expression.

5. Combine the Terms:

Sum (OR) all the simplified product terms to get the final
simplified expression.

Example 1: Two-Variable K-Map

Consider a function ( F(A, B) ) given by the truth table:

A B F
0 0 0
0 1 1
1 0 1
1 1 0

1. Construct the K-Map:

AB 0 1
00 0 1
01 1 X
11 X 0
10 1 0

2. Fill the K-Map:

3. Group the 1s:

Group 1: {AB', A'B} (combines the top row)

4. Write the Simplified Expression:

Group 1: Covers AB' + A'B

5. Combine the Terms:

[ F(A, B) = AB' + A'B ] This is the simplified Boolean

expression for the given function.

Note: In this example, the Xs did not play a role in

forming the groups since we were able to create a valid
group using only the 1s.

Example 2: Three-Variable K-Map with

Don’t Cares Simplification of Logic
Expressions using Karnaugh Map (K-
Map)
Consider a function ( F(A, B, C) ) with the following
minterms and don’t care conditions:

 Minterms: ( m(1, 3, 7) )
 Don’t Cares: ( d(0, 2, 5) )

1. Construct the K-Map:

AB \
00 01 11 10
C
00 X 1 X X
01 X 1 0
11 X X 1 X
10 1 X X 0

2. Fill the K-Map:

AB \
00 01 11 10
C
00 X 1 X X
01 X 1 0
11 X X 1 X
10 1 X X 0

3. Group the 1s and Xs:

 Group 1: { (1, 1, X, X), (0, 1, X, X) } covering cells

(1, 3, 0, 2)
 Group 2: { (1, X, X, 0) } covering cells (7, 6)

Explanation:

We can leverage the "don't care" conditions (Xs) to create

larger groups. In Group 1, we combine the top-right cell
(1, 1, 1) with the adjacent Xs to form a rectangle of size
4. Similarly, for Group 2, we combine the bottom-left cell
(1, 0, 0, 1) with the adjacent X to form a rectangle of size
2.

4. Write the Simplified Expression:

 Group 1: Covers A'C (since B changes within the group)

 Group 2: Covers AB (since C changes within the group)

5. Combine the Terms:

[ F(A, B, C) = A'C + AB ]

This process results in a simplified Boolean

expression, which is more efficient for implementation in
digital circuits.

Conclusion
The K-Map method effectively reduces the complexity of
Boolean expressions, simplifying the design and
implementation of digital logic circuits. By using visual
grouping, it allows for a more intuitive and less error-
prone simplification process compared to algebraic
methods. This method is particularly useful in minimizing
the number of gates required in a circuit, thereby reducing
cost and improving performance. Practicing with various
examples enhances proficiency in using K-Maps, leading to
more efficient circuit designs.

ASSIGNMENT
(a) Finding the Dual for the Boolean equation:

The dual of a Boolean expression is obtained by

interchanging AND and OR operations, as well as replacing
0s with 1s and vice versa. Given the expression:
AB' + BC' + 1 = 1
Let's find its dual:
1. Replace AND with OR and OR with AND:
2. Replace 0s with 1s and vice versa:
- Original expression: AB' + BC' + 1 = 1
- Dual expression: (A+B’) . (B + C’) . 0 = 0

(b) Complement of the expression:

Given the expression: XY'Z + XY + YZ'
To find its complement, we negate each term:
1. Complement of XY'Z : X' + Y + Z'
2. Complement of XY : X+9P[5958]6JJDFKJI'Y'
3. Complement of YZ' : Y' + Z

The overall complement expression is: (X' + Y +

Z') . (X'Y') . (Y’ + Z)

(c) Maxterm and Minterm:

- Maxterm: A maxterm is a product of all literals (variables
or their complements) in which the function evaluates to
0. For example, if we have a 3-variable function,
a maxterm would be a product of all variables (and their
complements) such that the function is 0.
- Minterm: A minterm is a product of all literals in which
the function evaluates to 1. It's also known as a standard
product term.
Given the values:
“A = 1, B = 0, C = 0, D = 1”
(i) Maxterm:
- The maxterm corresponding to the given values is:
(A + B’ + C’ + D)
(ii) Minterm:
- The minterm corresponding to the given values is:
AB'C'D

(d) Verifying X + XY = X:
Let's create a truth table for the expression X + XY :

x y xy x+y

0 0 0 0

0 1 0 0
1 0 0 1
1 1 1 1

As we can see, the expression evaluates to the same

value as X. This verifies the identity: X + XY = X , which is
known as the absorption law.

Absorption Law:
The Absorption Law states that similar variables are
absorbed, which can simplify a complex expression. It
includes two main parts:
1. X . (X + Y) = X
2. X + (X . Y) = X

(e) Principle of Duality:

The principle of duality states that any Boolean identity
remains valid if we:
- Replace AND with OR.
- Replace OR with AND.
- Swap 0s with 1s and vice versa.
In other words, if an expression is true, its dual (obtained
by applying the above transformations) is also true.

(f) Converting AB + BC' to canonical SOP form:

Given the expression: AB + BC'
To express it in canonical Sum of Products (SOP) form
using Boolean algebra:
Expand each term to include all variables (A, B, C):
AB = AB(C + C’) = ABC + ABC’
BC’ = BC’(A + A’) = ABC’ + A’BC’
Combine all terms:
AB + BC’ = ABC + ABC’ + A’BC’

(g) Given Boolean functions F(P, Q, R, S):

Simplifying Boolean Functions with
Karnaugh Maps (K-Maps)
This guide tackles simplifying Boolean functions using
Karnaugh Maps (K-Maps). We'll solve the problems you
provided, demonstrating group identification and logic
gate diagrams.

(b) F(P, Q, R, S) = Π (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)

i) Reduction using 4-variable K-Map:

1. Identify Minterms: The function uses the product of
terms (Π), meaning the output (F) is 1 only for the listed
minterms (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11).
2. Draw the K-Map: Construct a 4-variable K-Map with
2^4 = 16 cells.
3. Map Minterms: Place a 1 in each cell corresponding
to the listed minterms.

Since all minterms are present, the K-Map will be entirely

filled with 1s. Unfortunately, due to the large number of
minterms, forming efficient groups for simplification
becomes impractical in this case. The minimized
expression remains the product of all variables (F =
PQRΣ).

ii) Logic Gate Diagram:

The logic gate diagram for F = PQRΣ would be four AND

gates (one for each variable P, Q, R, and S) connected with
a single OR gate at the output.

(c) F(A, B, C) = Σ(2, 4, 5, 6, 7)

i) Reduction using 4-variable K-Map:

1. Identify Minterms: The function uses the sum of

terms (Σ), meaning the output (F) is 1 for any of the listed
minterms (2, 4, 5, 6, 7).
2. Draw the K-Map: Construct a 3-variable K-Map with
2^3 = 8 cells.
3. Map Minterms: Place a 1 in each cell corresponding
to the listed minterms.

The K-Map for F(A, B, C) will look like this:

AB \ C
00 01 11 10
-----+-----+-----+-----
00 | | 1 | | |
01 | | | | 1 |
11 | | | 1 | 1 |
10 | 1 | | | |

1. Group Minterms:
 We can form two groups:

o Group 1 (Quad): {(0, 1, X, X), (X, X, 1, 1)}

covering cells (4, 7).
o Group 2 (Pair): {(1, 0, X, X)} covering cell (2).

ii) Logic Gate Diagram:

Based on the groups:

 Group 1: This quad represents A'C. (Since B changes

within the group, it's treated as "X" in the product term).
 Group 2: This pair represents AB. (Similar to group
1, C is treated as "X").

The simplified expression: F(A, B, C) = A'C + AB

The corresponding logic gate diagram would have:

 Two AND gates: one for A'C and one for AB.
 An OR gate at the output to combine the product
terms.

Note: In problem (b), due to the large number of

minterms, simplification using K-Maps becomes less
efficient. However,for smaller functions like (c), K-Maps
provide a clear visual approach to identify groups and
minimize expressions.