Example K-map simplification

Lets consider simplifying f(x,y,z) = xy + yz + xz. First, you should convert the expression into a sum of minterms form, if its not already. The easiest way to do this is to make a truth table for the function, and then read off the minterms. You can either write out the literals or use the minterm shorthand. Here is the truth table and sum of minterms for our example:
x 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 y 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 z 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 f(x,y,z) 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1

f(x,y,z) = xyz + xyz + xyz + xyz = m1 + m5 + m6 + m7

CS231 Boolean Algebra

Unsimplifying expressions

You can also convert the expression to a sum of minterms with Boolean algebra. Apply the distributive law in reverse to add in missing variables. Very few people actually do this, but its occasionally useful. xy + yz + xz = (xy 1) + (yz 1) + (xz 1) = (xy (z + z)) + (yz (x + x)) + (xz (y + y)) = (xyz + xyz) + (xyz + xyz) + (xyz + xyz) = xyz + xyz + xyz + xyz

In both cases, were actually unsimplifying our example expression. The resulting expression is larger than the original one! But having all the individual minterms makes it easy to combine them together with the K-map.

CS231 Boolean Algebra

Making the example K-map

Next up is drawing and filling in the K-map. Put 1s in the map for each minterm, and 0s in the other squares. You can use either the minterm products or the shorthand to show you
where the 1s and 0s belong. In our example, we can write f(x,y,z) in two equivalent ways.

f(x,y,z) = xyz + xyz + xyz + xyz

Y X xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz

f(x,y,z) = m1 + m5 + m6 + m7
Y X m0 m4 m1 m5 Z m3 m7 m2 m6

Z In either case, the resulting K-map is shown below.

Y X 0 0 1 1 Z
CS231 Boolean Algebra 3

0 1

0 1

K-maps from truth tables

You can also fill in the K-map directly from a truth table. The output in row i of the table goes into square mi of the K-map. Remember that the rightmost columns of the K-map are switched.
Y

x 0 0 0 0

y 0 0 1 1

z 0 1 0 1

f(x,y,z) 0 1 0 0
0 0 1 1 Z

m0 m4

m1 m5 Z

m3 m7

m2 m6

Y X 0 1 0 1

1 1 1 1

0 0 1 1

0 1 0 1

0 1 1 1

CS231 Boolean Algebra

Grouping the minterms together

The most difficult step is grouping together all the 1s in the K-map. Make rectangles around groups of one, two, four or eight 1s. All of the 1s in the map should be included in at least one rectangle. Do not include any of the 0s.
Y X 0 0 1 1 Z 0 1 0 1

Each group corresponds to one product term. For the simplest result: Make as few rectangles as possible, to minimize the number of products in

the final expression. Make each rectangle as large as possible, to minimize the number of literals in each term. Its all right for rectangles to overlap, if that makes them larger.

CS231 Boolean Algebra

Reading the MSP from the K-map

Finally, you can find the MSP. Each rectangle corresponds to one product term. The product is determined by finding the common literals in that rectangle.
Y X 0 0 1 1 Z 0 1 0 1

Y xyz xyz xyz xyz X xyz xyz xyz xyz For our example, we find that xy + yz Z + xz = yz + xy. (This is one of the additional algebraic laws from last time.)

CS231 Boolean Algebra

Practice K-map 1

Simplify the sum of minterms m1 + m3 + m5 + m6.

Y X Z

Y X m0 m4 m1 m5 Z m3 m7 m2 m6

CS231 Boolean Algebra

Solutions for practice K-map 1

Here is the filled in K-map, with all groups shown. The magenta and green groups overlap, which makes each of them as large as possible. Minterm m6 is in a group all by its lonesome.
Y X 0 0 1 1 Z 1 0 0 1

The final MSP here is xz + yz + xyz.

CS231 Boolean Algebra

Four-variable K-maps

We can do four-variable expressions too! The minterms in the third and fourth columns, and in the third and fourth rows, are switched around. Again, this ensures that adjacent squares have common literals.
Y wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz Z wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz X wxyz wxyz

Y m0 m4 m12 m8 m1 m5 m13 m9 Z m3 m7 m15 m11 m2 m6 X m14 m10

Grouping minterms is similar to the three-variable case, but: You can have rectangular groups of 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 minterms. You can wrap around all four sides.

CS231 Boolean Algebra

Example: Simplify m0+m2+m5+m8+m10+m13

The expression is already a sum of minterms, so heres the K-map:

Y 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 Z 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 X
W m0 m4 m12 m8 m1 m5 m13 m9 Z m3 m7 m15 m11 Y m2 m6 m14 m10 X

We can make the following groups, resulting in the MSP xz + xyz.

Y 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 Z 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 X W wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz Z wxyz wxyz wxyz wxyz Y wxyz wxyz X wxyz wxyz

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K-maps can be tricky!

There may not necessarily be a unique MSP. The K-map below yields two valid and equivalent MSPs, because there are two possible ways to include minterm m7.
Y X 0 0 1 1 Z
Y X 0 0 1 1 Z 0 1 1 1
X 0 0 1 1 Z 0 1 Y 1 1

0 1

1 1

yz + yz + xy

yz + yz + xz

Remember that overlapping groups is possible, as shown above.

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Prime implicants

The challenge in using K-maps is selecting the right groups. If you dont minimize the number of groups and maximize the size of each group: Your resulting expression will still be equivalent to the original one. But it wont be a minimal sum of products. Whats a good approach to finding an actual MSP? First find all of the largest possible groupings of 1s. These are called the prime implicants. The final MSP will contain a subset of these prime implicants. Here is an example Karnaugh map with prime implicants marked:
Y 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 Z 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 X

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Essential prime implicants

Y 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 Z 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 X

If any group contains a minterm that is not also covered by another overlapping group, then that is an essential prime implicant. Essential prime implicants must appear in the MSP, since they contain minterms that no other terms include. Our example has just two essential prime implicants: The red group (wy) is essential, because of m0, m1 and m4. The green group (wxy) is essential, because of m10.

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Covering the other minterms

Y 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 Z 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 X

Finally pick as few other prime implicants as necessary to ensure that all the minterms are covered. After choosing the red and green rectangles in our example, there are just two minterms left to be covered, m13 and m15. These are both included in the blue prime implicant, wxz. The resulting MSP is wy + wxz + wxy. The black and yellow groups are not needed, since all the minterms are covered by the other three groups.

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Practice K-map 2

Simplify for the following K-map:

Y 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Z 1 1 1 1 0 1 X 1 0

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Solutions for practice K-map 2

Simplify for the following K-map:

Y 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Z 1 1 1 1 0 1 X 1 0

All prime implicants are circled. Essential prime implicants are xz, wx and yz. The MSP is xz + wx + yz. (Including the group xy would be redundant.)

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I dont care!

You dont always need all 2n input combinations in an n-variable function. If you can guarantee that certain input combinations never occur. If some outputs arent used in the rest of the circuit. We mark dont-care outputs in truth tables and K-maps with Xs.
x 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 y 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 z 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 f(x,y,z) 0 1 X 0 0 1 X 1

Within a K-map, each X can be considered as either 0 or 1. You should pick the interpretation that allows for the most simplification.

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Example: Seven Segment Display

Input: digit encoded as 4 bits: ABCD a Table for e f b Assumption: Input represents a legal g e c digit (0-9) d
CD AB 00 01 11 10 00 1 0 X 1 01 0 0 X 0 11 0 0 X X 10 1 1 X X A B 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 C 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 D 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 e 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 X X X X X X
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X X X X X X

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

CD + BD
June 17, 2002 Basic circuit analysis and design

Example: Seven Segment Display

A B 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 C 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 D 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 a 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 X X X X X X
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a f e d g c
CD AB 00 01 11 10 X 1

0
b Table for a

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X X X X X X

00 1

01

11 1

10 1 1 X X

1 X 1

1 X X

A + C + BD + BD
June 17, 2002 Basic circuit analysis and design

Practice K-map 3

Find a MSP for f(w,x,y,z) = m(0,2,4,5,8,14,15), d(w,x,y,z) = m(7,10,13) This notation means that input combinations wxyz = 0111, 1010 and 1101 (corresponding to minterms m7, m10 and m13) are unused.
Y 1 1 0 1 0 1 x 0 Z 0 x 1 0 1 0 X 1 x

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Solutions for practice K-map 3

Find a MSP for: f(w,x,y,z) = m(0,2,4,5,8,14,15), d(w,x,y,z) = m(7,10,13)

1 1 0 1 0 1 x 0 Z Y 0 x 1 0 1 0 X 1 x

All prime implicants are circled. We can treat Xs as 1s if we want, so the red group includes two Xs, and the light blue group includes one X. The only essential prime implicant is xz. The red group is not essential because the minterms in it also appear in other groups. The MSP is xz + wxy + wxy. It turns out the red group is redundant; we can cover all of the minterms in the map without it.
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Summary

K-maps are an alternative to algebra for simplifying expressions. The result is a minimal sum of products, which leads to a minimal two-level circuit. Its easy to handle dont-care conditions. K-maps are really only good for manual simplification of small expressions... but thats good enough for CS231! Things to keep in mind: Remember the correct order of minterms on the K-map. When grouping, you can wrap around all sides of the K-map, and your groups can overlap. Make as few rectangles as possible, but make each of them as large as possible. This leads to fewer, but simpler, product terms. There may be more than one valid solution.

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