Two-level Logic Minimisation

Abstract

An overview of the basic principles involved in the minimisation of two-level combinatorial logic functions was presented in chapter 2. It was shown that manual minimisation techniques, based on algebraic or map methods, rely on the human brain to recognise patterns in the representations of logic functions. Unfortunately, these techniques tend to be unmanageable when dealing with functions containing more than four or five variables, owing to the rapid increase in the amount of data to be processed by hand. Therefore, computer-driven algorithmic techniques must be employed to manage the increased complexity inherent in the minimisation of large functions containing twenty or more variables. An outline of pertinent techniques is presented in this chapter.