CS2100: Computer Organisation

Tutorial #7: Combinational Circuits

(Week 9: 14 – 18 October 2024)
Answers to Selected Questions

Tutorial questions
Note that for questions on logic design, you may assume that logical constants 0 and 1 are always
available. However, complemented literals are not available unless otherwise stated.

1. [Past-year’s question]
You are to design a circuit to implement a function V(A,B,C,D,E) that takes in input ABCDE and
generates output 1 if ABCDE is a valid input for the circuit in question D3 above, or 0 if ABCDE is an
invalid input. You are allowed to use only the following devices: full adder, 2-bit parallel adder, and 4-
bit magnitude comparator. You should use the fewest number of these approved devices, and no
other devices or logic gates. The block diagrams for these devices are shown below.

2-bit 4-bit
Full Adder COMP
Cin X3
Adder X2
X1 Cout
X Carry X1
X0
Y S1 X0 X<Y
Sum
Z Y1 S0 X=Y
Y0 Y3 X>Y
Y2
Y1
Y0

Answer:
Idea: Count the number of 1’s in ABCDE. If count > 1, then it’s a valid input.

4-bit
COMP
0 X3
0 X2
0 X1
Full 2-bit 1
Adder Adder X0 X<Y V
A D Cin X=Y
X Carry 0 Y3
X1 Cout X>Y
B Y Y2
Sum X0
C Z S1 Y1
0 S0 Y0
Y1
E Y0

AY2024/25 Semester 1 - 1 of 4 - CS2100 Tutorial #7 Selected Answers

2. [Past year’s exam question]
a. You want to construct a circuit that takes in a 4-bit unsigned binary number ABCD and outputs a
4-bit unsigned binary number EFGH where EFGH = (ABCD + 1) / 2. Note that the division is an
integer division. For example, if ABCD = 0110 (or 6 in decimal), then EFGH = 0011 (or 3 in decimal).
If ABCD = 1101 (or 13 in decimal), then EFGH = 0111 (or 7 in decimal).
Construct the above circuit using a single 4-bit parallel adder and at most one logic gate with no
restriction on its fan-in.
b. The following table shows the 4221 code and 8421 code (also known as BCD code) for the ten
decimal digits 0 through 9.

Digit 4221 code 8421 code

0 0000 0000
1 0001 0001
2 0010 0010
3 0011 0011
4 0110 0100
5 1001 0101
6 1100 0110
7 1101 0111
8 1110 1000
9 1111 1001

You want to construct a 4221-to-8421 decimal code converter, which takes in a 4-bit 4221 decimal
code PQRS and generates the corresponding 4-bit 8421 decimal code WXYZ.
Let’s call the circuit you created in part (a) above the A1H (Add-1-then-Half) device, represented
by the block diagram below. Implement your 4221-to-8421 decimal code converter using this A1H
device with the fewest number of additional logic gates.

A1H
A E
B F
C G
D H

AY2024/25 Semester 1 - 2 of 4 - CS2100 Tutorial #7 Selected Answers

 Answers: A B C D E F G H
Solution 1:
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2(a)
4-bit 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 Cin
//adder 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
0 X3 Cout 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
A X2 Cout 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
B X1 S3 E 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1
C X0 S2 F 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1
S1 G 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
0 Y3 S0 H 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
0 Y2
Y1
1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
0
Y0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1
D
1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0
1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0
Solution 2: 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
4-bit 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1
Or Y0 = 1; Cin = 0 1 Cin 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
//adder
A X3 Cout
X2 E
B
C X1 S3 F Alternative solution for E:
D X0 S2 G
S1 H A
Y3 S0 B
0 C E
0 Y2 D
0 Y1
0 Y0

2(b) P Q R S W X Y Z
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A1H 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 A E 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
P B F W 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1
Q C G X 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
R D H Y 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0
S Z 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1

AY2024/25 Semester 1 - 3 of 4 - CS2100 Tutorial #7 Selected Answers

4. Given a 4-bit magnitude comparator as shown on the right, implement
the following 4-variable Boolean functions using only this single
X3 4-bit
magnitude comparator with no other logic gates. (Note that there
X2 COMP
could be multiple answers.) X1
(a) F(A,B,C,D) = m(12 – 15). X0 X<Y
X=Y
(b) G(A,B,C,D) = m(0, 6, 9, 15). Y3
Y2 X>Y
(c) H(A,B,C,D) = m(0, 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15). Y1
(d) Z(A,B,C,D) = m(1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13). Y0

Answers:
(a) (b)
A X3 4-bit A X3 4-bit
B X2 COMP B X2 COMP
C X1 C X1
D X0 X<Y D X0 X<Y
X=Y X=Y G
1 Y3 D Y3
0 Y2 X>Y F C Y2 X>Y
1 Y1 B Y1
1 Y0 A Y0

Answers for (c) and (d) omitted.

For this type of questions, there could be many possible answers.

AY2024/25 Semester 1 - 4 of 4 - CS2100 Tutorial #7 Selected Answers