Digital Basic logic gates Prof. Pablo E. Castillo C.

Basic Logical Gates

The logic gate is the basic building block of digital systems.
logic gates operate with binary numbers. Therefore, logic gates are called
binary logic gates. All voltages used with logic gates are HIGH
or LOW.
A HIGH voltage means a 1 in binary and a LOW voltage means a 0 in binary.
Remember that logic gates are electronic circuits. These circuits respond
only to HIGH tensions (called 1) or LOW (ground) tensions (called 0).
All digital systems are built using three basic logic gates.
These are the AND gate, the OR gate, and the NOT gate.

3.2. THE DOOR or GATE AND

The AND gate is referred to as the <all or nothing> gate. The diagram in Figure 1a
shows the idea of the AND gate.

Figure 1a. AND circuit of switches or

switches.

The lamp (Y) will light up only

when both input switches (A
and B) are closed.

All the possible combinations for the switches A and

Figure 1b is shown.

Fig 1b. Truth table AND with 2 inputs

The table in this figure is called a truth table

that the output (Y or X) is enabled (ILLUMINATES) only
when both inputs are closed.

The conventional logical symbol of an AND gate

is represented in Figure 2a.
This symbol shows inputs A and B. The output

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 Digital Basic logic gates Prof. Pablo E. Castillo C.
It's X or Y. This is the symbol of a two-input AND gate.
The truth table for the two-input AND gate is shown
in Figure 2b.

Figure 2b. Truth table for two-input AND.

The inputs appear as binary digits (bits). Note that

only when both inputs A and B are 1 the output is 1. The binary 0
is defined as a LOW tension, or ground. The binary 1 is
defined as a HIGH tension. In this material, a tension
HIGH will mean about +5 volts (V).

Boolean algebra is a form of symbolic logic that shows how gates operate.
Logical. A Boolean expression is a shorthand method of showing what happens in a
logic circuit. The Boolean expression for the circuit in Figure 3.2 is
A.B =Y
The boolean expression is read A AND (means AND) B equals the output Y. The dot (.)
it means the logical function AND in Boolean algebra, and not the operation of multiplication
as in regular algebra.
Sometimes the point (.) is omitted in boolean expressions. For the AND gate of 2
inputs, the boolean expression is then:
AB = Y
The boolean expression is read as A AND B equals the output Y

A logic circuit often has

three or more variables. Figure 3a shows
the boolean expression for an AND gate
of three inputs. The input variables
They are A, B, and C. The output is Y. Figure 3a

The logical symbol for this expression is AND

It is drawn in the figure with three inputs.
3b. The three entries (A, B, C) are at the
left of the symbol.
The exit (Y) to the right of the symbol. The
truth table of Figure 3c shows the
8 possible combinations of the variables A, B, and C. Note that the top line of the
table is the binary count 000. The binary count continues with 001, 010, 011, 100,

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 Digital Basic logic gates Prof. Pablo E. Castillo C.
101, 110, and finally with 111. Note that only when all the inputs are at 1 the
exit from the door AND is enabled to 1.
Consider the truth tables AND shown in
Figures 2b and 3c. In each truth table the only
the door output AND is only in HIGH
when all the entries are in HIGH. The
designers observe each unique exit from the door,
when they decide which door is going to perform a certain
task. The laws of Boolean algebra govern the
operation of the AND gate.

The formal laws for the AND function are:

0 A.A = A
A.1 = A A.A' = 0 Figure 3c

The truth of these laws can be tested by going back to the truth table in Figure 2.
These are general statements that are always true about the AND function. The gates
AND they must follow those laws. Observe the bar or quotation mark over the variable in the
last law. The bar or quote over the variable means not A, negated A or the opposite
of A (complementation).

AND problems:

1. Write boolean expressions for a 4-input AND gate.

2. Draw the logic symbol for a 4-input AND gate.
3. Draw the truth table for a 4-input AND gate
4. In Figure 4, which
it will be the pulse train of
exit?

Figure 4

5. In Figure 5, what will the output pulse train be? Note that there are two trains.
of pulses at the door AND.

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Digital Basic logic gates Prof. Pablo E. Castillo C.
3.3. THE DOOR OR GATE OR

The OR gate is referred to as the gate of <any or all>. The diagram of Figure
6.a shows the idea of the OR gate. The
The lamp will light up when it is closed.
the switch A or B.
Figure 6a

The the lamp will also light up when they are

both switches A and B are closed.
The lamp (Y) will NOT light up when they are

both switches are open.

All possible combinations of the switches
is shown in Figure 6b. The truth table
detail the OR function of the switch circuit
and lamp. The the output of the OR circuit will be
enabled when any of the switches
The entrance is closed.

Figure 6b. Truth table

The standard logical symbol for the OR gate is

drawn in Figure 7a. Observe the shape
different from the OR gate.
The OR gate has two inputs A and B. The
output is Y.

Fig. 7a. Symbol of the 2-input OR gate

The abbreviated boolean expression for this OR function is A

+ B = Y. Note that the symbol más (+) means OR in
Boolean algebra. The expression (A + B = Y) is read as A OR (+
it means OR) B equals the output Y. It will be observed that the sign
more does not mean adding like in regular algebra.

Figure 7b. OR truth table.

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Digital Basic logic gates Prof. Pablo E. Castillo C.
The truth table of the 2-input OR gate is in Figure 7b. The variables of
Input (A and B) are on the left. The resulting output (Y) is in the column
to the right of the table. The OR gate is enabled (the output is 1) at any moment
that a 1 appears in any or all entries. As before; a 0 is defined by
a LOW voltage (ground). A 1 in the truth table represents a HIGH voltage
(+5V).
The boolean expression for a 3-input OR gate
entries are written in Figure 8a.
The expression reads A OR B OR C equal to the output

Y. The plus sign, again, means the

OR function.
A logical symbol for the OR gate of 3
entries are drawn in Figure 8b.

Figure 8b

Inputs A, B, and C are to the left of the symbol. The output (Y) is to the right of it.
OR symbol. This symbol represents a circuit that performs the OR function.
The truth table for the 3-input OR gate is shown in Figure 8c. The
variables (A, B and C) are shown on the left side of the table. The output (Y) appears
in the right column. Whenever a 1 appears in any entry the
the output will be 1.

Figure 8c.

Consider the truth tables of OR from Figures 7b.

and 8c. In each truth table, the unique output of the
door OR is a low voltage level only
when all entries they are low.
designers observe every unique exit from the door
when they decide which door they are going to use for a
certain task.
The laws of Boolean algebra govern the form
operation of the OR gate. The formal laws
for the OR function are:
A+0=A
A+1=1
A+A=A
A + A' = 1
The observation of the truth table in Figure 7 will help verify these laws.

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 Digital Basic logic gates Prof. Pablo E. Castillo C.
These general propositions are always true for the OR function. The quote or
The bar over the last variable means not A, or the opposite of A, or A negated.

PROBLEMS OR

1. Write the boolean expression for a 4-input OR gate.

2. Draw the logical symbol of a 4-input OR gate.
3. Draw the truth table for a 4-input OR gate.
4. In Figure 9, what will the output pulse train be?

Figure 9

5. In Figure 10, what will the output pulse train be? Note that two trains appear.
of pulses at the OR door.

Figure 10.

THE DOOR 'NOT', 'NO' or 'inverter'

The NOT gate is also referred to as an inverter.

NOT gate, or inverter, is an unusual gate. The gate
NOT has only one input and one output.
Figure 11a illustrates the logic symbol for the inverter or gate
NOT.

The process of investing is simple. Figure 11b is the

truth table for the NOT gate. The input is
always changes to its opposite. If the input is 0, the
door NOT will not give its complement, or opposite, which is 1.

If the input to the NOT gate it's 1, the circuit

It will complement to give a 0. This investment also.
is called complementation or negation. The
negation, complementation, and inversion
they mean the same.

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 Digital Basic logic gates Prof. Pablo E. Castillo C.
The Boolean expression for the inversion is shown in Figure 11c.
The expression A = A' indicates that A is equal to the output not A. The quote
The bar over A means to complement A.

Figure 11d illustrates what will happen if used

of two investors. Boolean expressions are
written on the lines among investors.
Output A is inverted to A' (not A). A' is
inverted, again, to form A'' (not A). The
the double inversion of A (A'') is equal to the original (A),
as a sample Figure 11d. In the section
shaded under the inverters, the input is bit 0. Bit 0 is complemented to 1.
The bit 1 is complemented back to 0. After a digital signal passes through two
investors, return to their original form.

Alternative logical symbol for the NOT gate, or

inverter, is shown in Figure 11e.
Figure 11e

The inverter circle can be at the input or output of the triangular symbol.
When the inverter circle appears at the input part of the NOT symbol (as in the
Figure 11e), the designer usually tries to suggest that this is an active signal in
LOW.

An active LOW input in LOW requires that a LOW voltage activates some function in the
logic circuit. The alternative symbol NOT is commonly used in logic diagrams
what the manufacturers supply.

The laws of Boolean algebra govern the action of the inverter, or NOT gate. The laws
The formal expressions of Boolean algebra for the NOT gate are as follows:

0' = 1 1'=0
If A = 1, then A' = 0
If A = 0, then A' = 1
A'' = A
These general propositions can be checked with the truth table and the diagrams.
from Figure 11.

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 Digital Basic logic gates Prof. Pablo E. Castillo C.
Problems NOT the inverter

1. In Figure 12, what is the output at point (e) if the input at point (a) is bit 0?

Figure 12

2. What is the boolean expression at point (b) of Figure 12?

3. What is the boolean expression in point (c) of Figure 12?
4. What is the boolean expression in point (d) of Figure 12?
5. What is the output at point (d) of Figure 12 if the input at point (a) is a bit?
6. The door is NOT said to reverse its entrance. Cite two other words that can.
use instead of <invest>.
The door CANNOT have _____________ (one, many) input variable(s).

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