ICT 1105 – Digital Electronics

Fundamentals

Karnaugh Maps
and
Minimization of Boolean Expressions
 Karnaugh Maps
 Graphical representation of a truth table
 Can be used to minimize logic functions
 Uses Logic Adjacency
– A.B + A.B' = A (Boolean Algebra Law)
 Does not produce unique results
 Not directly transferable to computer algorithms
 Why not just use Boolean Algebra?
 Boolean algebra is useful for general proofs
 Difficult to use for minimization
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 Three-variable K-Map
row #
xx1 xy2 xz3 Gray code
xx1xy
2
0 0 0 0 m0 x3
z 00 01 11 10
1 0 0 1 m1
0 m0 m2 m6 m4
2 0 1 0 m2 LSB

3 0 1 1 m3 1 m1 m3 m7 m5
4 1 0 0 m4 y z
5 1 0 1 m5 x (b) Karnaugh map
6 1 1 0 m6
7 1 1 1 m7

(a) Truth table

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 Four-variable K-Map
Gray code x1
x1 x2
x3 x4
00 01 11 10

00 m0 m4 m 12 m8
Gray code
01 m1 m5 m 13 m9
x4
11 m3 m7 m 15 m 11
x3
10 m2 m6 m 14 m 10

x2

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Four-variable K-Map

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 Minimization using K-Maps

(Deriving a SOP expression using minterms)

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 Minimization using K-maps
 Enter minterms (for SOP) into K-map
 Identify adjacent cells
– Minterms differ in only one bit
 Use adjacency to minimize logic function
– Gray code used for enumeration
• Specifies the location of each minterm in K-map
– Horizontal and Vertical adjacency
• Both are logically adjacent
– K-map wraps
• Left and right columns are logically adjacent
• Top and bottom rows are logically adjacent

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 Minimization using K-Maps
 Group adjacent cells to reduce
– the number of literals in a term
– the number of terms in a Boolean expression
 Adjacencies are of size 1, 2, 4, 8, …
 Number of adjacent cells is a power of 2
 Adjacent cells form a rectangle
 The larger the grouping of adjacent cells the
greater the minimization of the logical function.

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Minimization using K-Maps

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 Two-variable K-Map

Example:

Using a Karnaugh Map, minimize the logic

function described by the following Truth
table.

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Two-variable K-Map

# A B F
0 0 0 1
1 0 1 1
2 1 0 0
3 1 1 1

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 Three-variable K-Map

Example:

Using a Karnaugh Map, minimize the logic

function described by the following Truth
table.

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Three-variable K-Map

# A B C F
0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 1 1
2 0 1 0 0
3 0 1 1 0
4 1 0 0 1
5 1 0 1 1
6 1 1 0 1
7 1 1 1 0

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 Minimization using K-Maps

Exercise:

Given the following Truth table,

1. Derive the Boolean Expression

2. Use a K-Map to determine the minimized
Boolean Expression

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Minimization using K-Maps

# A B C F
0 0 0 0 1
1 0 0 1 0
2 0 1 0 1
3 0 1 1 0
4 1 0 0 1
5 1 0 1 1
6 1 1 0 1
7 1 1 1 0

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 Four-variable K-Map

Example:

Using a Karnaugh Map, minimize the logic

function described by the following Truth
table.

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Four-variable K-Map
# A B C D F
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 1 0
2 0 0 1 0 1
3 0 0 1 1 1
4 0 1 0 0 0
5 0 1 0 1 0
6 0 1 1 0 0
7 0 1 1 1 0
8 1 0 0 0 0
9 1 0 0 1 1
10 1 0 1 0 1
11 1 0 1 1 1
12 1 1 0 0 0
13 1 1 0 1 1
14 1 1 1 0 0
15 1 1 1 1 0

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 Four-variable K-Map

Example:

Using a Karnaugh Map, minimize the logic

function described by the following Truth
table.

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Four-variable K-Map
# A B C D F
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 1 0
2 0 0 1 0 1
3 0 0 1 1 1
4 0 1 0 0 0
5 0 1 0 1 0
6 0 1 1 0 1
7 0 1 1 1 1
8 1 0 0 0 0
9 1 0 0 1 1
10 1 0 1 0 1
11 1 0 1 1 1
12 1 1 0 0 0
13 1 1 0 1 1
14 1 1 1 0 1
15 1 1 1 1 1
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 Minimization using K-Maps

Exercise:

Given the following Truth table,

1. Derive the Boolean Expression

2. Use a K-Map to determine the minimized
Boolean Expression

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Minimization using K-Maps
# A B C D F
0 0 0 0 0 1
1 0 0 0 1 0
2 0 0 1 0 1
3 0 0 1 1 1
4 0 1 0 0 0
5 0 1 0 1 0
6 0 1 1 0 1
7 0 1 1 1 1
8 1 0 0 0 1
9 1 0 0 1 0
10 1 0 1 0 1
11 1 0 1 1 0
12 1 1 0 0 0
13 1 1 0 1 0
14 1 1 1 0 0
15 1 1 1 1 1
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 Minimization using K-Maps

(Deriving a POS Expression using the Maxterms)

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 Minimization using K-maps
 Enter Maxterms (for POS) into K-map
 Identify adjacent cells
– Maxterms differ in only one bit
 Use adjacency to minimize logic function
– Gray code used for enumeration
• Specifies the location of each Maxterm in K-map
– Horizontal and Vertical adjacency
• Both are logically adjacent
– K-map wraps
• Left and right columns are logically adjacent
• Top and bottom rows are logically adjacent

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 Three-variable K-Map

Example:

Using a Karnaugh Map, minimize the logic

function described by the following Truth
table.

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Three-variable K-Map

# A B C F
0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 1 1
2 0 1 0 0
3 0 1 1 0
4 1 0 0 1
5 1 0 1 1
6 1 1 0 1
7 1 1 1 0

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 Four-variable K-Map

Example:

Using a Karnaugh Map, minimize the logic

function described by the following Truth
table.

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Four-variable K-Map
# A B C D F
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 1 0
2 0 0 1 0 1
3 0 0 1 1 1
4 0 1 0 0 0
5 0 1 0 1 0
6 0 1 1 0 1
7 0 1 1 1 1
8 1 0 0 0 0
9 1 0 0 1 1
10 1 0 1 0 1
11 1 0 1 1 1
12 1 1 0 0 0
13 1 1 0 1 1
14 1 1 1 0 1
15 1 1 1 1 1
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