Multiplexers;
Decoders;Encoders
1
Motivation and Goals for Studying
Multiplexers and Decoders
We’ve started using our tools to design more
complicated, practical logical circuits such as the
7-segment display driver.
These circuits involve many gates, and it’s now
time to see if we can use more complex ICs to help
simplify our circuitry and our design tasks.
Goals:
⚫ To understand the operation of a multiplexer (MUX)
and how it can be used in system design
⚫ To understand the operation of a decoder and how it
can be used in logic circuit design and in system
design
⚫ To understand the concept of active-low signals
2
Multiplexers
In its standard form, a multiplexer (or MUX) uses
an N-bit control input to determine which of 2N data
inputs will be passed to its single output.
In other words, a multiplexer acts like a switch,
selecting one of multiple inputs to connect to its
output.
(continued) 3
Analogy: Due to road construction, four lanes (the
data inputs) may be reduced to a single lane (the
single output). A policeman (the select input)
selects which one lane currently passes through
by blocking the other lanes.
A 4x1 mux, spoken as "4 to 1 mux", has four
data inputs and one data output and requires two
select inputs.
Mux sizes may be 2x1, 4x1, 8x1, 16x1, etc. For N data
inputs, a mux requires log2N select inputs.
Ingram School of
Engineering 4
Multiplexers (cont.)
In addition to its switching functions, logic functions
may be implemented by using a combination of the
control inputs and data inputs.
Multiplexers are available in many other sizes, too.
Number of data input lines = 2 (number of select lines)
5
Decoders
In its standard form, a decoder takes an N-bit input
and outputs 2N functions, each of which is active for
exactly one input combination.
In other words, a decoder outputs the minterms of the
inputs (or with inverted outputs, the maxterms)
A B C Y0 Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Decoders are available in many other sizes, too.
Number of output lines = 2 (number of select lines) 6
A decoder is a combinational circuit that converts
N inputs to a 1 on one of 2^N outputs. A 2x4
decoder, spoken as "2 to 4 decoder," converts
two inputs to a 1 on exactly one of four outputs.
Ingram School of
Engineering 7
A lawn sprinkler system may have multiple zones. A
sprinkler controller activates only one zone at a time due
to limited incoming water. The brain of the controller,
typically a small computer, may encode the active zone
in binary on output pins to save pins: If a system has
eight zones, only three pins are needed, while four zones
need only two pins. A decoder converts the binary
encoded zone to activate the appropriate zone.
Ingram School of
Engineering 8
The controller's brain has two outputs, encoding the active
zone in binary: 00, 01, 10, or 11. Those two outputs should
activate one corresponding zone.
A decoder implements the desired behavior, converting two
inputs to a 1 on exactly one of four outputs.
Ingram School of
Engineering 9
Decoders (cont.)
Functions may be implemented with a decoder and the
addition of a single extra gate. For example, an OR
gate may be used to combine minterms for a sum-of-
products implementation, or an AND gate may be used
to combine maxterms for a product-of-sums
implementation.
Consider how we can use a decoder to greatly simplify
the circuitry needed for a 7-segment display driver … 10
An encoder is a combinational circuit that
converts 1 of N inputs to a binary value using
log(N) outputs.
An encoder has the reverse functionality of a
decoder. A 4x2 encoder, spoken as "4 to 2
encoder," outputs a binary value on the two
output lines indicating which of the four inputs
was 1.
An encoder assumes that exactly one input will be
1. The truth table in the following animation
shows the functionality of an encoder with four
inputs and two outputs.
Ingram School of
Engineering 11
A 4x2 encoder outputs a binary
value indicating which input is 1.
If d0 is 1, the encoder outputs
the binary value for 0, e1e0 =
00.
If d1 is 1, the encoder outputs
the binary value for 1, e1e0 =
01.
If d2 is 1, the encoder outputs
the binary value for 2, e1e0 =
10.
If d3 is 1, the encoder outputs
the binary value for 3, e1e0 =
11.
Ingram School of
Engineering 12
Practical Considerations
Often times a circuit like a decoder or multiplexer will
use a low voltage to indicate a “true” or “on” state and
a high voltage to indicate a “false” or “off” state.
⚫ This practice is called active-low operation and is the
opposite of what we’ve used so far (where a high voltage
has indicated a “1” and a low voltage has indicated a “0”).
Often times circuits like a decoder or multiplexer will
have one or more enable lines which can be used to
turn the circuit off (i.e., to disable its outputs). Enable
lines are useful in systems where several devices may
share a common input (such as multiple memory chips
connected to a single processor in a PC).
13
74LS138 Decoder
The 74LS138 is a 3-to-8 decoder with inverted outputs
(maxterms) which may be used with an AND gate to
produce product-of-sums expressions or with a NAND
gate for sum-of-products expressions.
14
Using the 74LS138 Decoder
The circuit below implements the same function as on
slide 6, using the 74LS138 active-low 3-to-8 decoder
15
74LS139 Decoder
The 74LS139 is a dual 2-to-4 decoder with inverted
outputs.
16
74LS138 and 74LS139
Note: Active Low Operation!
17
74LS151 Multiplexer
The 74LS151 is a 1-of-8 multiplexer.
74LS151
74LS157 Quad Multiplexer
74LS157
You Should Now Be Able to …
⚫ Explain the operation of a multiplexer
⚫ Explain the operation of a decoder
⚫ Show how a decoder can be used to create logical
functions as a sum of minterms or a product of
maxterms
⚫ Describe active-low signals and interpret their
representation in circuits and truth tables
22