CS1023:Digital Logic Design

Gate Level Minimization ( K-Maps )

Lecture 15

1
Two Variable K-Map
• Two Variables K-Map
• Map is used for Boolean Functions composed of two
variables

x y Minterm
0 0 0 m0 xy
1 0 1 m1 xy
2 1 0 m2 xy
3 1 1 m3 xy

2
Three Variable K-Map
• Three Variables K-Map
x y Minterm
• Map is used for Boolean
z
Functions composed of
three variables 0 0 0 0 m0 xyz
1 0 0 1 m1 xyz
2 0 1 0 m2 xyz
3 0 1 1 m3 xyz
4 1 0 0 m4 xyz
5 1 0 1 m5 xyz
6 1 1 0 m6 xyz
7 1 1 1 m7 xyz
3
Boolean Function Simplification
using K-Map
• Adjacent Squares in K-Map (Horizontally and
Vertically) can be combined together to simplify
Boolean Functions
• Combining the Adjacent Squares will
cause the removal of dissimilar variables from the
minterms
• Diagonal Squares are not adjacent
y
x 0 1
F xyxyxy
0 1
(x  x) y x ( y 
y) 1 1 1
F  y
x
4
Boolean Function Simplification
using K-Map
• Simplify the Boolean Function

• Squares that are combined horizontally or vertically

should be power of 2 i.e. 2, 4, 8, 16
5
Boolean Function Simplification
using K-Map
• Simplify the Boolean Functions

6
Boolean Function Simplification
using K-Map
• Procedure for Simplification of Boolean Expressions
using K-Maps
– Represent the Boolean
Function in sum of minterms
form
– Represent each minterm in
the Boolean Function with
‘1’ in the K-Map
– Combine the ‘1’s in adjacent
squares of K-Map to simplify
the Boolean Expression
• While combining adjacent
squares, start with the
maximum possible group of
adjacent squares
7
Boolean Function Simplification
using K-Map
• As adjacent squares are combined, we obtain
a
product term with fewer literals
• For 3 Variables K-Map
– One square
represents
– Two one minterm
adjacent squares
with three literals
represent a with
term two
literals adjacent
– Four squares
represent a with
term literal one
• Eight adjacent squares encompass the entire
map and produce a function that is always equal to 1

8
Three Variable K-Maps : Practice
Questions
• Simplify the following Boolean Functions using
K-Maps

9
K-Maps : Boolean Function
Simplification
• Simplify the Boolean Function

• Expand the function as a sum of minterms

• Simplify the function using K-Map

10
Four Variable K-Maps
• Four Variable K-Map is used for Boolean
functions of four binary variables (w, x, y, z)
• K-Map can contain upto 16 minterms
• Rows and columns in the Map are numbered in a
Gray code sequence

11
Four Variable K-Maps
w x y z Minterm
0 0 0 0 0 m0 wxyz
1 0 0 0 1 m1 wxyz
2 0 0 1 0 m2 wxyz
3 0 0 1 1 m3 wxyz
4 0 1 0 0 m4 wxyz
5 0 1 0 1 m5 wxyz
6 0 1 1 0 m6 wxyz
7 0 1 1 1 m7 wxyz
8 1 0 0 0 m8 wxyz
9 1 0 0 1 m9 wx y z
10 1 0 1 0 m10 wx y z
11 1 0 1 1 m11 wx y z
12 1 1 0 0 m12 wx y z
13 1 1 0 1 m13 wx y z
14 1 1 1 0 m14 wx y z
15 1 1 1 1 m15 wxyz
12
Boolean Function Simplification
using K-Map
• As adjacent squares are combined, we obtain
a
product term with fewer literals
• For 4 Variables K-Map, Map is
considered to lie on a surface
with the top and bottom
edges, as well as the right and
left edges, touching each
other to form adjacent squares
• Squares that are combined
horizontally or vertically
should be power of 2 i.e. 2, 4,
8, 16
• It is permissible to use same
square more than once
13
Boolean Function Simplification
using K-Map
• As adjacent squares are combined, we obtain
a
product term with fewer literals
• For 4 Variables K-Map
– One square represents one
mintermadjacent
– Two with four literals
squares
represent with
a three
term literals.
– Four adjacent squares
represent with
a term two
literals. adjacent
– Eight squares
represent a term with one literal

• Sixteen adjacent squares encompass the entire map

and produce a function that is always equal to 1
14
Four Variable K-Maps : Example
• Simplify the Boolean Function

15
Four Variable K-Maps : Practice
Questions
• Simplify the following Boolean Functions using
K-Maps

16
K-Maps : Boolean Function
Simplification
• Simplify the Boolean Function

• Expand the function as a sum of minterms

• Simplify the function using K-Map

17
K-Maps : Boolean Function
Simplification
• Simplify the following Boolean Expressions
using 3 Variable K-Maps

• Simplify the following Boolean Expressions

using 4 Variable K-Maps

18
Prime Implicants
• Prime Implicant
• A prime implicant is a product term obtained by
combining the maximum possible number of
adjacent squares in the map
• Essential Prime Implicant
• If a minterm in a square is covered by only one
prime implicant, that prime implicant is said to
be essential prime implicant
• Prime implicant is essential if it is the only prime
implicant that covers a specific minterm

19
Prime Implicants : Example
• For the Boolean function below, find
Prime
Implicant & Essential Prime Implicant

20
Prime Implicants : Boolean Function
Simplification
• For Boolean function simplification,
– First determine all the prime
essential implicants
– Determine other prime implicants that may be
needed to cover any remaining minterms
– Simplified expression is obtained from the
sum of all the essential prime implicants and
other prime implicants
– There can be more than one way of combining
squares and each combination will produce a
different simplified expression

21
Prime Implicants : Example
• Simplify the Boolean function Prime &
using
Essential Prime Implicants

22
Prime Implicants : Practice Questions
• Find all the prime implicants for the
following Boolean functions, and determine
which are essential

• Simplify the following Boolean functions by first

finding the essential prime implicants

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