COE211: Digital Logic Design

Simplification of Boolean
Functions
 Overview
◼ Introduction to Karnaugh Maps
◼ Karnaugh Maps Rules and Methods
◼ Two and Three-Variable K-Maps
◼ Four-Variable K-Maps
◼ Simplification Techniques
◼ Don’t Cares Conditions

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 Karnaugh Maps
● Alternate way of representing Boolean functions
● Each row in the truth table is represented by a square
● Each square represents a minterm
● Easy to convert between truth table, K-map, and SOP
● Un-optimized form: number of 1’s in K-map equals number of
minterms (products) in SOP
● Optimized form: reduced number of minterms
F = Σ(m0,m1) = x’y + x’y’ x y F
y
y y 0 0 1
x 0 1 x 0 1
0 1 1
0 x’y’ x’y 0 1 1
1 0 0
x 1 xy’ xy 1 0 0 1 1 0

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 Karnaugh Maps (cont’d)
● A Karnaugh map is a graphical tool for assisting in the
general simplification procedure
● Two variable maps
B0 B0 1
1
A A
00 1 00 1 F=AB +AB +AB
F=AB+AB
11 0 11 1
A B C F
● Three variable maps 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 1
BC 0 1 0 1
00 01 11 10 0 1 1 0
A
00 1 0 1 1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
11 1 1 1 1 1 0 1
+
1 1 1 1

F=ABC +ABC +ABC + ABC + ABC + ABC

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 Rules for K-Maps
● We can reduce functions by circling 1’s in the K-map
● Each circle represents minterm reduction
● After circling, deduce a minimized AND-OR form

Rules to consider
● Every cell containing a 1 must be included at least once
● The largest possible “power of 2 rectangle” should be used
● Use the smallest possible number of rectangles

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 Karnaugh Maps Examples
● Two variable maps
B0 1 B0 1
A A
0 0 1 F=AB+AB 00 1 F=AB +AB +AB
11 0 11 1 F=A+B

● Three variable maps

BC
00 01 11 10
A
00 1 0 1
11 1 1 1 F=A+BC +BC

F=ABC +ABC +ABC + ABC + ABC + ABC

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 Karnaugh Maps Examples (cont’d)

FIGURE 3.4 Map for Example 3.1,

F(x, y, z) = Σ(2, 3, 4, 5) = x’y + xy’

FIGURE 3.6 Map for Example 3.3, F(x, y, z)

= Σ(0, 2, 4, 5, 6) = z’ + xy’

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 Karnaugh Maps Examples (cont’d)

b b
0 1 0 1
a a
0 0 1 0 1 1
1 0 1 1 0 0

f=b g = a'

bc bc
a 00 01 11 10 a 00 01 11 10
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1
1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1

cout = bc + ac + ab f=b

1. Circle the largest groups possible

2. Group dimensions must be a power of 2
3. Remember what circling means!

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 K-Maps of 3-variable XOR Function
● Odd function – odd number of inputs are 1
● Even function – even number of inputs are 1

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 Example using 1-bit Adder
Cin A B Cin S Cout
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 1 0
0 1 0 1 0 How to use a Karnaugh
A 0 1 1 0 1
Adder S 1 0 0 1 0 Map instead of the
B 1 0 1 0 1 Algebraic simplification?
1 1 0 0 1
1 1 1 1 1
Cout +

S = A’B’Cin + A’BCin’ + A’BCin + ABCin

Cout = A’BCin + A B’Cin + ABCin’ + ABCin
= A’BCin + ABCin + AB’Cin + ABCin + ABCin’ + ABCin
= (A’ + A)BCin + (B’ + B)ACin + (Cin’ + Cin)AB
= 1·BCin + 1· ACin + 1· AB
= BCin + ACin + AB

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 Example using 1-bit Adder (cont’d)

Cin
A B Cin S Cout
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 1 0
A 0 1 0 1 0
Adder S 0 1 1 0 1
B 1 0 0 1 0
1 0 1 0 1
1 1 0 0 1
Cout 1 1 1 1 1
B
+

0 0 1 0 Now we have to cover all the 1s in the

Karnaugh Map using the largest
A 0 1 1 1 rectangles and as few rectangles
as we can.
Cin
Karnaugh Map for Cout

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 Example using 1-bit Adder (cont’d)

Cin
A B Cin S Cout
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 1 0
A 0 1 0 1 0
Adder S 0 1 1 0 1
B 1 0 0 1 0
1 0 1 0 1
1 1 0 0 1
Cout +
1 1 1 1 1

B
Now we have to cover all the 1s in the
0 0 1 0 Karnaugh Map using the largest
rectangles and as few rectangles
A 0 1 1 1
as we can.
Cin Cout = BCin + AB + ACin
Karnaugh Map for Cout

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 Example using 1-bit Adder (cont’d)

Can you draw the circuit diagrams?

Cin
A B Cin S Cout
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 1 0
A 0 1 0 1 0
Adder S 0 1 1 0 1
B 1 0 0 1 0
1 0 1 0 1
1 1 0 0 1
Cout +
1 1 1 1 1

B
0 1 0 1
A 1 0 1 0

Cin S = A B Cin + A B Cin + ABCin + ABCin

Karnaugh Map for S No Possible Reduction!

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 Karnaugh Maps for 4-Input Functions
● Represent functions of 4 inputs with 16 minterms
● Use same rules developed for 3-input functions

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 Karnaugh Map: 4-Variable Example
F(A,B,C,D) = m(0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15)

C
1 0 1 1

0 1 1 1
B
0 0 1 1
A
1 0 1 1
D
F = C + A’BD + B’D’
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 Design Examples
C C C

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

0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
B B B

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
A A A

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

D D
D

K-map for LT K-map for EQ K-map for GT

LT = A' C + A' B' D + B' C D

EQ = A'B'C'D' + A'BC'D + ABCD + AB'CD’
GT = A C' + B C' D' + A B D'
Can you draw the truth table for these examples?

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 Physical Implementation
A BC D Step 1: Truth table
Step 2: K-map
Step 3: Minimized sum-of-products
Step 4: Physical implementation with gates

EQ C

1 0 0 0

0 1 0 0
B

0 0 1 0
A
0 0 0 1

K-map for EQ
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 Karnaugh Maps: Don’t Cares
● In some cases, outputs are undefined
● We “don’t care” if the circuit produces a ‘0’ or a ‘1’
● This knowledge can be used to simplify functions

A
AB
CD 00 01 11 10
00 0 0 X 0 - Treat X’s like either 1’s or 0’s
01 1 1 X 1 D
- Very useful
11 1 1 0 0 - OK to leave some X’s uncovered
C

10 0 X 0 0
B

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 Don’t Care Conditions
● In some situations, we don’t care about the value of a
function for certain combinations of the variables
● these combinations may be impossible in certain contexts
● or the value of the function may not matter when the
combinations occur
● In such situations we say the function is incompletely
specified and there are multiple (completely specified)
logic functions that can be used in the design
● so we can select a function that gives the simplest circuit
● When constructing the terms in the simplification
procedure, we can choose to either cover or not cover the
don’t care conditions

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 Don’t Cares Examples
CD
00 01 11 10
AB
00 0 1 0 0
01 x x x 1 F=ACD+B+AC
11 1 1 1 x
10 x 0 1 1
Alternative covering:
CD
00 01 11 10
AB
00 0 1 0 0
01 x x x 1 F=ABCD+ABC+BC+AC
11 1 1 1 x
10 x 0 1 1
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 Don’t Cares Examples (cont’d)
f(A,B,C,D) =  m(1,3,5,7,9) + d(6,12,13)
● f = A'D + B'C'D without don't cares
● f = A‘ D + C‘ D with don't cares

by using don't care as a "1"

0 1 1 0
a 2-cube can be formed
0 1 1 X
rather than a 1-cube to cover
B this node
X X 0 0
A

0 1 0 0 don't cares can be treated as

1s or 0s
D
depending on which is more
advantageous

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 Definition of Terms
● Implicant
● Single product term of the ON-set (terms that create a logic 1)
● Prime implicant
● Implicant that can't be combined with another to form an implicant
with fewer literals
● Essential prime implicant
● Prime implicant is essential if it alone covers a minterm in the K-
map
● Remember that all squares marked with 1 must be covered
● Objective:
● Grow implicants into prime implicants (minimize literals per term)
● Cover the K-map with as few prime implicants as possible
(minimize number of product terms)
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 Examples to Illustrate Terms
C

0 X 1 0
6 prime implicants:
ABD', A'D, AC, A‘BC', CD, BC'D'
1 1 1 0
B
essential
1 0 1 1
A

0 0 1 1 minimum cover: AC + A‘D + BC'D'

D

5 prime implicants: 0 0 1 0

BD, ABC, AC'D, A'BC', A'CD

1 1 1 0
B

essential A
0 1 1 1

minimum cover: 4 essential implicants

0 1 0 0

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 Prime Implicants
Any single 1 or group of 1s in the Karnaugh map of a
function F is an implicant of F.

A product term is called a prime implicant of F if it

cannot be combined with another term to eliminate a
variable.
If a function F is represented by
C this Karnaugh Map. Which of the
following terms are implicants of
Example: 1 1 1 F, and which ones are prime
implicants of F?
1 1
B (a) A’B’C Implicants:
1 (b) BD (a),(c),(d),(e)
A
1 1 (c) A’B’C’D’
(d) A’C Prime Implicants:
(d),(e)
D (e) A’B’D’

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 Essential Prime Implicants
A product term is an essential prime implicant if there is a
minterm that is only covered by that prime implicant
The minimal sum-of-products form of F must include
all the essential prime implicants of F
 Summary
● Karnaugh map allows us to represent functions with new notation
● Representation allows for logic reduction
● Implement same function with less logic
● Each square represents one minterm
● Each circle leads to one product term
● Not all functions can be reduced
● K-maps of four literals were considered (Larger examples exist)
● Don’t care conditions help minimize functions
● Result of minimization is a minimal sum-of-products
● Result contains prime implicants
● Essential prime implicants are required in the implementation

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