COEN 3103 – Logic Circuits and Design

Lesson 4

by: Engr. Ricrey E. Marquez, PCpE

• Logic function is expression usually expressed in
either canonical form or standard form.
• Extended form of Boolean expression, where each term
contains all Boolean variables in their normal or
complemented form is also known as the canonical
form of the expression.
• Standard forms is a Boolean form where expression
could have one, two, or more literal variable on each
term.
• At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. describe Boolean function forms used in digital circuits,
2. derive the canonical and standard form from truth table,
3. demonstrate how universal gates mimic the function of
other logic gate, and
4. construct NAND-NAND or NOR-NOR implementation
of Boolean function
PART 1
• Minterm (m or )
• also known as standard product.
• Each minterm is obtained from an AND (•) term of the n variables,
with each variable being primed/complement (x’) if the
corresponding bit of the binary number is a 0 and unprimed/normal
(x) if a 1.
• All 1’s output as called minterm outputs
• Maxterm (M or )
• also known as standard sum.
• Each maxterm is obtained from an OR (+) term of the n variables,
with each variable being unprimed/complement (x) if the
corresponding bit is a 0 and primed/normal (x’) if it is 1
• All 0’s output as called maxterm outputs
• Canonical form
• Boolean function form where terms are expressed as the
sum of minterm (SOM) or product of the maxterm (POM).
• All terms must have the same number of literal variables.
• Sum of Minterms (SOM
• F(abc) = (3, 5, 6) = a’bc + abc’ + ab’c
• Product of Maxterms (POM)
• F(abc) = (0, 2, 3, 7) = (a+b+c)(a+b’+c)(a+b’+c’)(a’+b’+c’)
• Example 1-19. Consider the Boolean function F(xyz) =
x + y’z, determine the following:
a) Minterm and maxterm lists
b) Sum of Minterms (SOM)
c) Product of Maxterms (POM)
• Solution:
• Solution:
a) Minterm and maxterm lists
• F(xyz) = (1, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• F(xyz) = (0, 2, 3)

b) Sum of Minterms (SOM)

• F(xyz) = m1 + m4 + m5 + m6 + m7 = x’y’z + xy’z’ + xy’z + xyz’ + xyz

c) Product of Maxterms (POM)

• F(xyz) = M0 • M2 • M3 = (x+y+z)(x+y’+z) (x+y’+z’)
• Expand or completing the unknown variable/s on the given Boolean
function terms by applying Boolean algebra postulates or theorems.
• The complement of a function expressed as the sum of
minterms (SOM) equals the sum of minterms (SOM)
missing from the original function.
• This is because the original function is expressed by
those minterms which make the function equal to 1,
whereas its complement is a 1 for those minterms for
which the function is a 0.
• If F(xyz) = (1, 4, 5, 6, 7), thus, unknown SOM are F(xyz) = (0, 2, 3),
which can be expressed as:
• F(xyz) = (0, 2, 3) = m0 + m2 + m3 = x’y’z’ + x’yz’ + xyz

• Taking the complement of the unknown sum of minterms and then apply
De Morgan’s theorem, this will give you a result in product of maxterms:
• Therefore, converting sum of minterms (SOM) to product of
maxterms (POM) or vice versa holds the following relation:
• mi’ = Mi
• Mi’ = mi

where, the maxterm with subscript i is a complement of the minterm with

the same subscript i and vice versa.
• Alternative way to express Boolean functions is in standard form.
• In this form, the terms that form the function may contain one, two, or any number of
literals.
• There are two types of standard forms: the sum of products (SOP) and products of
sums (POS)
• Sum of Products (SOP). A Boolean expression containing AND terms, called product
terms, with one or more literals each. The sum denotes the ORing of these terms such as
F(abc) = b’ + ab + a’bc’. Notice that the expression has three product terms, with one,
two, and three literals.
• Product of Sums (POS). A Boolean expression containing OR terms, called sum terms.
Each term may have any number of literals. The product denotes the ANDing of these
terms such as F(abc) = a(b’ + c)(a’ + b + c’). Similar to SOP, the expression has three
sum terms, with one, two, and three literals.
• Example 1-20. Given
F(abc) = (0,2,5,7),
determine the
following:
a) Sum of Products
(SOM)
b) Simplified SOM using
Boolean algebra
• Example 1-21. Given
F(abc) = (1,4,5),
determine the
following:
a) Product of Products
(POM)
b) Simplified POM using
Boolean algebra
PART 2
• NAND and NOR gates have also the property to hardware-
implement a logic circuit corresponding to any given
Boolean expression.
• Combination of NAND gates or a combination of NOR
gates can be used to perform functions of any of the basic
logic gates.
• NAND and NOR gates are easier to fabricate with
electronic components compared to other basic gates.
Graphic symbol and Boolean expression of two-inputs NAND gate
Graphic symbol and Boolean expression of two-inputs NOR gate
• Boolean algebra theorems used in transforming NAND or NOR gate logic
circuits that will perform the function of other digital logic gate are:
• De Morgan’s Theorem:

o X = A’ + B’ = (A • B)’

o Y = A’ • B’ = (A + B)’

• Involution Theorem:

o X = A’’ = A
• Figure illustrates
flowchart of
transforming
NAND or NOR
logic circuits for a
Boolean
expression.
Flowchart of transforming NAND or NOR logic circuits for a
Boolean expression
• Example 1-21. Construct the NAND and NOR implementation
of the basic logic operators (NOT, AND, and OR).
Summary of the implementation of NAND and NOR gate with basic logic operators
1. Construct the Boolean expression with basic logic
gates.
2. Re-draw the logic diagram by replacing each gate with
their equivalent NAND or NOR implementation, and
3. To simplify the diagram, remove any occurrence of two
cascaded NOT gate.
• Example 1-22. Applying stated above, construct the
following:
a) NAND-NAND implementation of NOR, XOR, and XNOR
gates
b) NOR-NOR implementation of NAND, XOR, and XNOR
gates
• The previous logic
diagram can be further
simplified as illustrated
in Figure below.
Logic diagram of F = x’y’ + xy with NAND gates only
• More efficient equivalent NOR-NOR implementation of XNOR.
• More efficient equivalent NOR-NOR implementation of XOR.
PART 3
• Example 1-23. Given the F(abcd) = (a + b)(cd’ + c’d),
construct the NAND-NAND and NOR-NOR circuits.
NAND-NAND logic diagram of Example 1-23
NOR-NOR logic diagram of Example 1-23