Smart Home Electronic Security System
1. Design of the electronic security system using logic gates, multiplexers, decoders,
and encoders
For this assignment, I designed a smart home access control system that allows a user to enter a
code using either a keypad or a keycard/RFID. The system then validates the code and unlocks
one of four rooms. This design uses combinational circuits such as multiplexers, XNOR and
AND gates, a priority encoder, and a decoder, which are commonly used to route, compare, and
process digital signals (Ndjountche, 2016).
The system begins with multiplexers that switch between the two possible code input sources.
Each bit of the 4-bit code passes through a 2-to-1 MUX. A selector line chooses between keypad
inputs (K3..K0) and card inputs (C3..C0). This lets the system support multiple entry methods
without extra wiring.
Next, the selected 4-bit code enters the authentication block. Four XNOR gates compare each bit
of the user code with the stored authorized code. If the bits match, the XNOR gate outputs 1.
These outputs go into a 4-input AND gate, which produces AUTH_OK = 1 only if all four bits
match. This is a standard technique for checking digital equality (University of the People,
2024).
To choose which room the user wants to access, the system uses room request lines (RQ3..RQ0).
These are fed into a priority encoder, which outputs a 2-bit code. The encoder always selects the
highest-priority room if more than one button is pressed.
Priority Encoder Table:
RQ3 RQ2 RQ1 RQ0 Encoder Output (S1 S0)
0 0 0 1 00
0 0 1 0 01
0 1 0 0 10
1 0 0 0 11
The 2-bit output then goes into a 2-to-4 decoder, which activates exactly one room line (R0..R3).
This ensures only one room can be selected at a time.
Finally, each room has an AND gate that checks two things:
1. The authentication result (AUTH_OK)
2. The decoder output (R0..R3)
A room is unlocked only when both signals are 1.
2. How each component is incorporated and how they work together
Each block plays a specific role and connects cleanly into the next stage.
The multiplexers allow flexible selection between keypad and card inputs.
The XNOR gates perform bit-by-bit comparison with the correct stored code.
The 4-input AND gate checks that the entire 4-bit code is correct.
The priority encoder resolves which room request to process.
The decoder converts the encoded request back into one of four room output lines.
The AND gates at the end ensure access is allowed only when AUTH_OK is high and a
valid room is selected.
This arrangement demonstrates the typical way combinational circuits are used to analyze inputs
and generate deterministic outputs instantly (Ndjountche, 2016).
3. Integrating a demultiplexor for efficient multi-room access control
The circuit can be simplified by replacing the four AND gates with a 1-to-4 demultiplexor
(DEMUX). Instead of having four separate gates, a DEMUX can route one input (AUTH_OK) to
one of four outputs based on the 2-bit room selection code.
Here is how the DEMUX would behave:
If AUTH_OK = 0, none of the room outputs activate.
If AUTH_OK = 1, the DEMUX sends the “authorization” signal only to the room
selected by the encoder.
This approach reduces the number of gates and makes the system easier to expand. For example,
if a future version had 8 or 16 rooms, only the DEMUX size would need to change rather than
redesigning the whole access logic. Demultiplexors are commonly used whenever a single input
needs to be distributed to multiple outputs efficiently (Ndjountche, 2016).
Screenshots:
References
Ndjountche, T. (2016). Digital electronics 1: Combinational logic circuits. John Wiley & Sons.
University of the People. (2024). CS 1105: Digital Electronics & Computer Architecture – Unit 1
materials.
