Digital Logic

Lecture 8

Combinational Logic: Analysis

and Design

The Hashemite University

Computer Engineering Department
Outline
 Introduction.
 Combinational circuits analysis
procedure.
 Combinational circuits design
procedure.

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Introduction
 Logic circuits are divided into two types:
 Combinational circuits: the output of the circuits depends
only on the current or present combinations of inputs.
 No clock,
 No feedback paths in the circuit,
 No storage elements.
 Sequential circuits: the circuit includes storage elements
which causes the output of the circuit being dependable on
the previous inputs and outputs in addition to the present
inputs combination. Also, it may include clock and feedback
paths between its elements.
 Feedback path is a connection from the output of a
logic gate to the input of a second gate which
contributes in the input of the first gate.
 Sequential circuits will be studied in Chapter 5, 6,
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 Combinational Circuits I
Combinational Logic
n Boolean Inputs Circuit
m Boolean Outputs

 A combinational circuit consists of:

 n external inputs with 2^n possible combinations.
 m outputs described by m Boolean functions.
 Logic gates that are connected with each other to perform a
specific function or task.
 Each output have a Boolean function that describes it.
 Recall that you can find an infinite number of equivalent
function to this function, however, there is only one
truth table that describes all these equivalent functions.
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Combinational Circuits II
 Most digital systems are classified as
sequential logic.
 However, there are many essential
combinational circuits that are standard and
fabricated as ICs to be used in digital
systems, such as:
 Binary adders and subtractors.
 Magnitude comparators.
 Encoders.
 Decoders.
 Multiplexers.

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Combinational Circuits
Analysis Procedure I
 Analysis of combinational logic circuits starts from the
circuit and ends with a Boolean function and truth
table that describes the circuit output.
 It includes:
 Obtaining the Boolean functions of the outputs of the circuit.
 Obtaining the truth table for these functions.
 Describing the task accomplished by the whole circuit (or by
each individual function).
 If the task accomplished by the circuit is given for
you in advance, then your analysis task will be called
verification since you want to make sure that this
circuits accomplish this specific task correctly.
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Combinational Circuits
Analysis Procedure II
 Analysis steps:
 First: make sure that the given circuit is combinational not
sequential.
 Second: obtain the Boolean function expression for the
output of the circuit (as we have learned in Chapter 2).
 Third: if you can describe the task performed by the circuit
from the Boolean function obtained from the previous step.
 Fourth: obtain the truth table of the circuit. Two methods
exist:
 Either from the Boolean function obtained in the second step
where you find the output value for each input combination by
substitution.
 Or by finding the values of all partial outputs till you reach the
final output.

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 Example
 Analyze the following logic circuit:
x F1
y

Y1
z
Y3
F2

Y2
F3
Y4

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Example ... cont.
 Solution:
 First: the circuit is combinational. No memory
and no feedback paths exist. It has 3 external
inputs (x, y, z) and 3 external outputs (F1,
F2, and F3). For the inputs lets specify x as
the most significant input and z as the least
significant input.
 Second: the Boolean expression of the
outputs are:
F1 = (x + y’)’ = x’.y

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 Example ... cont.
Y1 = (x’.z’)’ = x+z
Y2 = (y+z)’
Y3 = Y1.Y2’ = (x+z)((y+z)’)’ = (x+z)(y+z)
Y4 = x’+y
F3 = Y3+Y4 = (x+z)(y+z) + x’+y
F2 = F1+F3 = x’.y + (x+z)(y+z) + x’+y
= x’ + y + (x+z)(y+z)

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Example ... cont.
 Third: the truth table of all outputs.
x y z Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 F1 F2 F3
0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1
0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1
0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1
1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1
1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1

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Combinational Circuits Design
Procedure I
 Design of combinational logic circuit starts from the
design specifications (which describe the task to be
performed by the logic circuit) and ends with a logic
circuit (or a Boolean function from which the circuit
can be implemented) to implement the desired task.

 Remember for correct design you must fully

understand the required task. Otherwise, you will
come up with a circuit that accomplish a completely
different task other than the required one.

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Combinational Circuits Design
Procedure II
 Design steps:
 Define the required number of inputs and outputs.
 Define the truth table that specify the required relationship
between the inputs and the outputs.
 Obtain the simplified expression of the Boolean function that
combines the inputs to get the output (most of the time we
will use K-maps)..
 Draw the logic diagram or circuit of the function expression
taking into account the following:
 the limitations on the available logic gates to be used.
 If you have more than one output try to find a common
expressions or terms between them to simplify the final circuit.
 Verify that the obtained circuits performs the required task.

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Combinational Circuits Design
Procedure III
 Sometimes, there are some limitations or design
criteria that must be considered while implementing
the obtained Boolean function. Examples on such
limitations includes:
 The available logic gates: e.g.: no AND gates are available
and only NAND gates. So, you must construct AND gate
from these NAND gates.
 Restriction on the number of inputs for the available gate.
E.g.: you need a 5-input OR gate to implement a SOP
function. However, you have only 2-input OR gates.
 Propagation delay of the signals through the gates.
 Driving capability of the gates: how many gates can be
connected to the output of any gate.

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Example
 Design a 3-bit Binary to Gray Code Converter.
 Solution:
 First, understand the problem: we have to design a
converter that takes the binary value and returns the
Gray Code of that value. The binary value is
represented as a 3-bit number  we have three
external inputs. Remember Gray code have the same
number of bits as the original binary value  we
have three external outputs.
 Second: obtain the truth table that represents the
required operation to be performed by the converter
circuit.

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 Example ... cont.
inputs outputs
 Binary values
input as: xyz x y z A B C
0 0 0 0 0 0
 Gray Code 0 0 1 0 0 1

output as: 0 1 0 0 1 1
0 1 1 0 1 0
ABC 1 0 0 1 1 0
1 0 1 1 1 1
1 1 0 1 0 1
1 1 1 1 0 0

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 Example ... cont.
 Third: Simplify the expression of each output using 3-
variable K-map.
Output A K-map Output B K-map Output C K-map
yz yz yz
x 00 01 11 10 x 00 01 11 10 x 00 01 11 10
0 0 1 1 0 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

 A=x
 B = x’y + xy’  x XOR y
 C = y’z + yz’  y XOR z
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Example ... cont.
 Fourth: Draw the circuit: remember you
will draw one circuit with three outputs.
x A

y
B

z C

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Notes
 In the textbook there is an example of
BCD to excess-3 code converter. Study
it starting from the given truth table.
Pay attention to the don’t care
conditions that are used.

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Additional Notes
 This lecture covers the following
material from the textbook:
 Chapter 4: Sections 4.1 – 4.4

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