Logic Gate

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Overview

A logic gate is a method for evaluating discrete values where an input is reduced to a specific output. Logic gates serve a valuable function in digital circuit, allowing the use of boolean logic. Gates are commonly constructed from a network of diodes and/or transistors, but a variety of other methods such as relays exist. Basic functions can be modeled using AND and OR gates. Using an inverter (NOT gate), various other gates can be modeled, such as NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR gates.

Technical Information

The possible outcomes of logic gates can be pre-determined through the use of truth trables. However, these values are not efficient and grow exponentially with complexity of the circuit. A wide variety of algorithms exist for minimizing complexity, such as the Quine–McCluskey algorithm.

The most simplistic gates with diodes. However, only AND and OR gates can be created. However, using transistors, NOT gates can be created. any other gate type can be constructed solely from NAND or NOR gates, but with added complexity as a result.

Below is an example of how 2 input values can have 16 different possible outcomes depending on the boolean function used.

INPUTA0011Meaning
B0101
OUTPUTFALSE0000Whatever A and B, the output is false. Contradiction.
A AND B0001Output is true if and only if (iff) both A and B are true.
A \not\rightarrow B0010A doesn't imply B. True iff A but not B.
A0011True whenever A is true.
A \not\leftarrow B0100A is not implied by B. True iff not A but B.
B0101True whenever B is true.
A XOR B0110True iff A is not equal to B.
A OR B0111True iff A is true, or B is true, or both.
A NOR B1000True iff neither A nor B.
A XNOR B1001True iff A is equal to B.
NOT B1010True iff B is false.
A \leftarrow B1011A is implied by B. False if not A but B, otherwise true.
NOT A1100True iff A is false.
A \rightarrow B1101A implies B. False if A but not B, otherwise true.
A NAND B1110A and B are not both true.
TRUE1111Whatever A and B, the output is true. Tautology.


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