DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
PART-1
Q1) Which gates are called universal gates? Why?
NAND and NOR gates are called universal gates. Because any other logical gate
like AND, OR, NOT, XOR, XNOR etc. or any other Boolean function can be
implemented only with NAND or NOR gates.

Q2) How many minterms or maxterms will be there for n-inputs?

n. For example, for 2 inputs the possible 4

For n inputs, possible minterms/maxterms = 2 minterms are A’B’,

A’B, AB’, AB and maxterms are A+B, A’+B, A+B’, A’+B’.

Q3) Give the minterm and maxterms corresponding to 6 and 15

numbers (4-inputs)?

(a) 6 = (0110)2 Minterm = A’BCD’, maxterm = A+B’+C’+D (b) 15 = (1111))2 Minterm

= ABCD, maxterm = A’+B’+C’+D’

Q4) In how many ways can a NAND gate be converted into an

inverter? Show all the possibilities?

A NAND gate can be converted into an inverter by using any of the following two
methods:

Q5) How many number of 2 input AND gates are required to

generate N I/P AND gate?

N-1. For example to implement a 4 input AND gate we need three 2-input AND
gates.
Q6) State De-Morgan’s Laws?

(A+B+C+D…)’ = A’.B’.C’.D’…….

(ABCD……..)’ = A’ + B’ + C’ + D’……

Q7) (a) If it is given that A & B will not be 1 at the same time, what
will be the equivalent logical gate for an XOR gate?

(b) If any of the inputs of an XOR gate are inverted, XOR gate will work as ----- ?
(a) OR Gate.

We can conclude this from truth table. Also from Boolean algebra as shown here :

As A=B=1, can not occur, AB = 0 always.

A XOR B = AB’ + A’B = A (AB)’ + B (AB)’ = A (0)’ + B(0)’ = A + B

(b) XNOR Gate.

A XOR B = AB’ + A’B

Using this, A’ XOR B = AXOR B’ = A’B’ + AB = A XNOR B

Q8) State the Shannon’s expansion theorem for representing a

Boolean function by its co-factors?

According to Shannon’s expansion theorem any Boolean function F(A,B,C,D….) can

be represented as F = A FA + A’ FA’ , where the cofactors FA and FA’ are given as,
FA = F(1,B,C,D….) and FA’ = F(0,B,C,D….)

Q9) Write the cofactors FA and FA’ for F(A,B,C,D) = ABD + BCD’ +
A’B’C’ ?

FA = BD + BCD’ and FA’ = BCD’ + B’C’

Q10) How many unique Boolean functions can exist for ‘n’ number
of inputs?

FA = BD + BCD’ and FA’ = BCD’ + B’C’

Q11) Mention the logical gates for which the 3 input

implementation can not be obtained from two 2 input gates? How
do you implement them?

2^2^n For n inputs, the possible number of minterms are, k = 2^n.

Any boolean function is combination of minterms. So all possible Boolean functions

are
kC
0 + kC1 + kC2 + kC3 + ……. kCk = (1 + 1)^k = 2^k = 2^2^n

Q12) What is OUT in the circuit shown below?

First XOR gate output = X XOR X’ = 1

Second XOR output = 1 XOR X = X’

Third XOR gate output = OUT = X’ XOR X = 1

OUT = 1 irrespective of X
Q13) Give implementation of XOR using minimum number of NAND
gates?

A XOR B = A’B + AB’ = A(AB)’ + B(AB)’

Q14)A = Switch B=Sensor1 C=Sensor2 D=Sensor3 Pressed or sensor activated

=1

F=Shutdown=1

If you use K-Map and simplify, you will get F = A + BC + CD. The
implementation of the same is shown below.
Q15) Majority function is the one which gives 1 if the input has
more 1s than 0s. Show the truth table and give the AOI for 3-input
majority function?
Truth table for 3-input majority function is shown below:

Q16) N number of XNOR gates are connected as shown below. How

does this circuit work? Explain?
Ans
wer:

This is circuit will work in two different ways based on N-value. (a) N is odd (b) N is
even

(a) If N is odd, there will be even number of XNOR gates in the circuit. Take an
exampleof N=3, So there are 2 XNOR Gates. The two bubbles will get cancelled and
this works as
XOR. Same works for any odd N. So if N is odd it works as XOR Gate.

(b) If N is even, the circuit works as XNOR Gate. ( Apply the same logic). One
extrabubble will be there to make XOR to XNOR. You may verify the same for N=4.

Q17) Show the implementation of XNOR gate using minimum

number of NOR Gates?

Very much similar to Answer 13.

Q18) Explain parity generation and its significance?

Parity generation adds an extra bit to the data which indicates the parity of input
data. Parity generation is of two types: Even-parity and odd-parity generation. Even
parity generator gives 1 if the input has odd number of 1’s so that overall number of
1’s will be even. Similarly odd parity generator gives 1 if the input has even number
of 1’s.

In data transmission systems the transmission channel itself is a source of data

error. Hence the need to determine the validity of transmitted and received data. The
validity of data is essential in applications where data is transmitted over long
distances. Invalid data is a corruption risk. Parity generation helps in checking the
validity of the data. Parity generation and validation is a scheme to provide single bit
error detection capabilities.
Q19) Which logical gates can be used as parity generators?

XOR gate can be used as even parity generator and XNOR can be used as odd
parity generator.

Q20) What is the parity of (i) 10111001 (ii) 11001010

(i) ODD as the number of ones = 5, odd number

(ii) EVEN, number of 1s =4,even

Q21) Give a circuit for 4-bit even parity checker? And explain the
same how can it be reused for parity generation?
The following circuit shows a parity checker for 4 inputs. A, B and
C is the actual data. Whereas P is even parity bit generated at the
transmitter. P = A xor B xor C. So A, B, C and P together will have
even parity always. If all the bit sequences are received properly, O
should be zero always. O=1 indicates that some error has occurred
during transmission.

The same circuit can be used for parity generation by putting P = 0. If P=0, the same
circuit works as 3-input even parity generator.

Q22) Design a combinational circuit using XOR gates that converts

a 4-bit gray code number to a 4-bit binary number?

The detailed procedure with an example for converting gray code to binary is shown
in chapter 1. The same concept is shown with the XOR gates here.
The input clock, the OUT that is needed and the corresponding CLK_EN are shown
in the following diagram:

Q24) Which logical gate can be used to find out whether the two
single bit inputs are equal or not?

XNOR gate.

If we observe the truth tables, XNOR gate gives 1 if both the inputs are same.

Similarly XOR gives 1 if both the signals are different.

Q25) What is the difference between NAND gate and negative AND gate?
Q26) How to obtain the dual of a Boolean equation?

Dual : Replacing AND (NAND) with OR(NOR) and OR (NOR) with AND(NAND) in a
given boolean equation gives the dual.

a) iv

b) iii

c) ii

d) i