Logic Optimization:

Karnaugh Map
Virendra Singh
Professor
Computer Architecture and Dependable Systems Lab
Department of Electrical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
http://www.ee.iitb.ac.in/~viren/
E-mail: viren@ee.iitb.ac.in
EE-224: Digital Systems
Lecture 17-B: 19 October 2020 CADSL
Cubes (Implicants) of 4 Variables
A

0 4 12 8 Minterm or
1 1 0-implicant or
0-cube
1 5 13 9
A`B `C`D
1
D
3 7 15 11
1
C
2 6 14 10
1
1-implicant or
1-cube
B
ABD
19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 2 CADSL
Growing Cubes, Reducing Products
1-implicant or A
1-cube
0 4 12 8
`AB D

2-implicant or 1 5 13 9
2-cube 1 1
BD D
3 7 15 11
1 1

C
2 6 14 10

1-implicant or
1-cube
B
ABD

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 3 CADSL

Largest Cubes or Smallest Products
A

0 4 12 8
1 1

1 5 13 9
1 1
D
3 7 15 11
1 1

C
2 6 14 10
1 1
3-implicant or
3-cube
B
B
19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 4 CADSL
 Implication and Covering
• A larger cube covers a smaller cube if all
minterms of the smaller cube are included in
the larger cube.
• A smaller cube implies (or subsumes) a larger
cube if all minterms of the smaller cube are
included in the larger cube.

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 5 CADSL

 Implicants of a Function
• Minterms, products, cubes that imply the
function. A

0 4 12 8
F = AB + BD + ACD + ABC D 1
1

1 5 13 9
1 1
D
3 7 15 11
1 1 1

C
2 6 14 10
1

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 6 CADSL

 Prime Implicant (PI)
• A cube or implicant of a function that cannot grow
larger by expanding into other cubes.
A PI A

0 4 12 8 0 4 12 8
1 1 1 1

1 5 13 9 1 5 13 9
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
D D
3 7 15 11 3 7 15 11
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1
C C
2 6 14 10 2 6 14 10
1 1 1 1

B B

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 7 CADSL

 Essential Prime Implicant (EPI)
• If among the minterms subsuming a prime implicant
(PI), there is at least one minterm that is covered by
this and only this PI, then the PI is called an essential
prime implicant (EPI).
• Also called essential prime cube (EPC).
A

1 1 EPI

C 1 1

Why not this? B

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 8 CADSL
Redundant Prime Implicant (RPI)
• If each minterm subsuming a prime implicant (PI) is
also covered by other essential prime implicants,
then that PI is called a redundant prime implicant
(RPI).
• Also called redundant prime cube (RPC).
A

1 1 EPI

C 1 1

RPI B
19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 9 CADSL
 Selective Prime Implicant (SPI)
• A prime implicant (PI) that is neither EPI nor RPI is
called a selective prime implicant (SPI).
• Also called selective prime cube (SPC).
• SPIs occur in pairs. A

1 1 EPI

C 1 1 1

B
SPI

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 10 CADSL

Minimum Sum of Products (MSOP)
• Identify all prime implicants (PI) by letting
minterms and implicants grow.
• Construct MSOP with PI only :
• Cover all minterms
• Use only essential prime implicants (EPI)
• Use no redundant prime implicant (RPI)
• Use cheaper selective prime implicants (SPI)
• A good heuristic – Choose EPI in ascending order,
starting from 0-implicant, then 1-implicant, 2-implicant,
...

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 11 CADSL

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 12 CADSL
Thank You

19 Oct 2020 EE-224@IITB 13 CADSL