Circuit Simplification/Optimization

Asst. Prof. Mohanad Alayedi

Department of Software Engineering
Haliç University
[email protected]

CEN203, Fall 2024

CEN203, Fall 2024 2024, Dr. Mohanad Alayedi (Haliç University) 1

 Overview

 Circuit optimization
 Circuit implementation cost
 Boolean function optimization
 Karnaugh maps
– Two variable
– Three variable
– Four variable

CEN203, Fall 2024 2024, Dr. Mohanad Alayedi (Haliç University) 2

 Circuit optimization

 Goal: To obtain the simplest implementation for a given function

 Optimization is a more formal approach to simplification that is
performed using a specific procedure or algorithm
 Optimization requires a cost criterion to measure the simplicity of a
circuit
 Two distinct cost criteria we will use:
– Literal cost (L)
– Gate input cost (G)
• Gate input cost with NOTs (GN)

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 Literal cost

 Literal – a variable or its complement

 Literal cost – the number of literal
appearances in a Boolean expression
corresponding to the logic circuit diagram
 Examples:
– F = BD + AB'C + AC'D'
L=8
– F = BD + AB'C + AB'D' + ABC'
L=
– F = (A + B)(A + D)(B + C + D')(B' + C' + D)
L=
– Which solution is best?

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 Gate input cost

 Gate input costs - the number of inputs to the gates in the implementation
corresponding exactly to the given equation or equations. (G - inverters not counted,
GN - inverters counted)
 For SOP and POS equations, it can be found from the equation(s) by finding the sum of:
– all literal appearances
– the number of terms excluding terms consisting only of a single literal,
(G) and
– optionally, the number of distinct complemented single literals (GN).
 Example:

– F = BD + AB'C + AC'D' L = 8, G = 11, GN = 14

– F = BD + AB'C + AB'D' + ABC' L = 11, G = , GN =
– F = (A + B)(A + D)(B + C + D')(B' + C' + D) L = 10, G = , GN =
– Which solution is best?

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 Cost criteria 1

L = 5
 Example 1: G = L + 2 = 7
 F = A + BC + B'C' GN = G + 2 = 9

B
C
A F

 L (literal count) counts the AND inputs and the single literal OR input.
 G (gate input count) adds the remaining OR gate inputs
 GN(gate input count with NOTs) adds the inverter inputs

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 Cost criteria 2

A
 Example 2: B
 F = A B C + A'B'C' C
F
– L = 6, G = 8, GN = 11
 F = (A + C')(B' + C)(A' + B)
– L = 6, G = 9, GN = 12
 Same function and same literal
cost A
B
 But first circuit has better gate input C
count and better gate input count F
with NOTs
 Select it!

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 Boolean function optimization

 Minimizing the gate input (or literal) cost of a (a set of) Boolean equation(s)
reduces circuit cost.
 We choose gate input cost.
 Boolean Algebra and graphical techniques are tools to minimize cost
criteria values.
 Some important questions:
– When do we stop trying to reduce the cost?
– Do we know when we have a minimum cost?
 Treat optimum or near-optimum cost functions for two-level (SOP
and POS) circuits first.
 Introduce a graphical technique using Karnaugh maps (K- maps, for short)

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 Karnaugh maps (K-map)

 A K-map is a collection of squares

– Each square represents a minterm
– The collection of squares is a graphical representation of a Boolean function
– Adjacent squares differ in the value of one variable
– Alternative algebraic expressions for the same function are derived by
recognizing patterns of squares
 The K-map can be viewed as
– A reorganized version of the truth table

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 Uses of K-maps

 Provide a means for:

– Finding optimum or near optimum
• SOP and POS standard forms, and
• two-level AND/OR and OR/AND circuit implementations
 For functions with small numbers of variables
– Visualizing concepts related to manipulating
Boolean expressions, and
– Demonstrating concepts used by computer-aided
design programs to simplify large circuits

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 Two variable maps

 A 2-variable Karnaugh Map: y=0 y=1

– Note that minterm m0 and minterm m1 are
“adjacent” and differ in the value of the variable m0 = m1 =
x=0
y. x'y' x'y
– Similarly, minterm m0 and minterm m2 differ in m2 = m3 =
x=1
the x variable. x y' xy
– Also, m1 and m3 differ in the x variable as well.
– Finally, m2 and m3 differ in the value of the
variable y

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 K-map and truth tables

 The K-Map is just a different form of the truth table.

 Example – Two variable function:
– We choose a,b,c and d from the set {0,1} to
implement a particular function, F(x,y).

Function truth table K-map

Input Function
values values F(x,y) y = 0 y=1
(x,y) F(x,y)
00 a
x=0 a b
01 b
10 c
11 d
x=1 c d

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 K-map function representation

• Example:
F(x,y) = (2,3) F(x,y) y = 0 y=1
F(x,y) = xy' + xy
x=0 0 0

x=1 1 1

 For function F(x,y), the two adjacent cells containing

1’s can be combined using the Minimization Theorem:
F(x,y) = xy' + xy = x(y' + y) = x

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 K-map function representation

 Example:
G(x,y) = (1,2,3) G(x,y) y=0 y=1
G(x,y) = x'y + xy' + xy
x=0 0 1

x=1 1 1

 For G(x,y), two pairs of adjacent cells containing 1’s can be combined
using the Minimization Theorem:
G(x,y) = x'y + xy' + xy
G(x,y) = (x'y + xy) + (xy' + xy) = (x' + x)y + x(y' + y) = x + y
Duplicate xy

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 Three variable maps

y'z' y'z yz y'z

 A three-variable K-map:
x' m0 m1 m3 m2
x m4 m5 m7 m6

 Where each minterm corresponds to the product terms:

yz=00 yz=01 yz=11 yz=10

x=0 x'y'z' x'y'z x'y z x'y z'

x=1 x y'z' x y'z x y z x y z'
 Note that if the binary value for an index differs in one bit position, the
minterms are adjacent on the K-Map

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 Alternate map labeling

 Map use largely involves:

– Entering values into the map, and
– Reading off product terms from the map.
 Alternate labelings are useful:
yz
00 01 11 10
x
0 0 1 3 2
1 4 5 7 6

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 Example functions

 By convention, we represent the minterms of F by a "1" in

the map and leave the minterms of F' blank or put a 0
 Example: yz
F(x,y,z) = (2,3,4,5) x
00 01 11 10

0 1 3 2
0 1 1
4 5 7 6
 Example: 1 1 1
G(a,b,c) = (3,4,6,7)
 Learn the locations of the 8 bc
00 01 11 10
indices based on the variable a
order shown (x, ms 0 0 1 3 1 2
and z, ls) on the
7 6
map boundaries 1 4 1 5 1 1

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 Example: Combining squares

 Example: Let F(x,y,z) = (2,3,6,7)

yz
00 01 11 10
x
0 1 3 2
0 1 1
7 6
1 4 5 1 1

 Applying the Minimization Theorem three times:

F(x,y,z) = x'yz' + x'yz + xyz' + xyz
= x'y(z' + z) + xy(z' + z) = x'y + xy
= (x' + x)y = y
 Thus the four terms that form a 2 × 2 square correspond to
the term "y".

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 Three variable maps

 Reduced literal product terms for SOP standard forms

correspond to rectangles on K-maps containing cell counts that
are powers of 2.
 Rectangles of 2 cells represent 2 adjacent minterms; of 4 cells
represent 4 minterms that form a “pairwise adjacent” ring.
 Rectangles can contain non-adjacent cells as illustrated by the
“pairwise adjacent” ring above.

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 Three variable maps

 Example Shapes of 2-cell Rectangles:

yz
x
Z

0 1 3 2

4 5 7 6
X

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 Three variable maps

 Example Shapes of 4-cell Rectangles:

yz
x
Z

0 1 3 2

4 5 7 6
X

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 Three variable maps

 K-Maps can be used to simplify Boolean functions

by systematic methods. Terms are selected to cover
the “1s”in the map.

 Example: x'y
Simplify yz
Z
x
F(x,y,z) = (1,2,3,5,7)
0 1 3 2
1 1 1
4 5 1 7 1 6
X
F = x'y + z
z Y

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 Three variable map simplification

 Use a K-map to find an optimum SOP equation for

 F(x,y,z) = (0,1,2,4,6,7)

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 Four variable maps

 Map and location of minterms z

yz
wx 00 01 11 10

00 0 1 3 2

01 4 5 7 6
x
11 12 13 15 14
w
10 8 9 11 10

y
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 Four variable terms

 Four variable maps can have rectangles

corresponding to:
– A single 1 = 4 variables, (i.e. Minterm)
– Two 1s = 3 variables,
– Four 1s = 2 variables
– Eight 1s = 1 variable,
– Sixteen 1s = zero variables (i.e.
Constant "1")

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 Four variable maps

 Example shapes of rectangles

z

0 1 3 2

4 5 7 6
x
12 13 15 14
w
8 9 11 10

y
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 Four variable maps

 Example shapes of rectangles

z

0 1 3 2

4 5 7 6
x
12 13 15 14
w
8 9 11 10

y
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 Four variable maps

 Example shapes of rectangles

z

0 1 3 2

4 5 7 6
x
12 13 15 14
w
8 9 11 10

y
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 Four variable maps

 Example shapes of rectangles

z

0 1 3 2

4 5 7 6
x
12 13 15 14
w
8 9 11 10

y
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 Four variable map simplification 1

 F(w,x,y,z) = (0,2,4,5,6,7,8,10,13,15)

0 1 3 2

4 5 7 6

12 13 15 14

8 9 11 10

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 Four variable map simplification 2

 F(w,x,y,z) = (3,4,5,7,9,13,14,15)

0 1 3 2

4 5 7 6

12 13 15 14

8 9 11 10

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 References

Logic and Computer Design Fundamentals, by Charles Kime and Thomas

Kaminski, Pearson Education.

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