Combinational Logic Design

2 Combinational Circuits A combinational logic circuit has: ♦ A set of m Boolean inputs, ♦ A set of n Boolean outputs ♦ n switching functions, each mapping the 2 m input combinations to an output such that the current output depends only on the current input values A block diagram m Boolean Inputs n Boolean Outputs Combinatorial Logic Circuit

3 Design Procedure Steps  Specification  Formulation  Optimization  Technology Mapping: AND, OR, and NOT; NAND; NOR  Verification Manual Simulation

4 Design Procedure 1.Specification Write a specification for the circuit if one is not already available 2.Formulation Derive a truth table or initial Boolean equations that define the required relationships between the inputs and outputs, if not in the specification Apply hierarchical design if appropriate (more later)

5 Design Procedure 3. Optimization Apply 2-level and multiple-level optimization Draw a logic diagram (or provide a netlist ) for the resulting circuit using ANDs, ORs, and invertersnetlist

6 Design Procedure 4.Technology Mapping Map the logic diagram or netlist to the implementation technology selected 5.Verification Verify the correctness of the final design manually or using simulation

7 Hierarchical Design  Objective: To control the complexity of each function which is mapping inputs to outputs Decompose the function into smaller pieces called blocks Decompose each block’s function into smaller blocks, repeating as necessary until all blocks are small enough Any block not decomposed is called a primitive block The collection of all blocks including the decomposed ones is a hierarchy

8 Spring 2008 Design Hierarchy Just like with a large software program, to design a large chip you need a hierarchy Divide and Conquer Block is equivalent to object

9 Spring 2008 Example: 9-input even parity checker Design a 9-input function to check even parity for byte ♦ Chapter 2: Use odd function circuit to check even parity

10 Spring 2008 We know how to design a 3- input odd function

11 We know how to design an XOR  A NAND only implementation is: X Y X Y

12 Spring 2008 Design Hierarchy

13 Spring 2008 Components in Design The blocks that must be designed

14 Spring input parity tree (continued) Top Level: 9 inputs, one output 2nd Level: Four 3-bit odd funcions in two levels 3rd Level: Two 2-bit exclusive-OR functions Primitive block, XOR gate: Four 2- input NAND gates Design requires {4 X (2 X 4)} = 32 2-input NAND gates

15 Spring 2008 Top Down Design Ideally you specify top level of design and work your way down Real life isn’t that way ♦ Work some at top ♦ Build/test some low-level blocks ♦ Go back to top level ♦ Just like real software programs Big projects (like Pentium) done with architecture and levels of simulators