UNIVERSAL GATES

NAND & NOR

 NAND & NOR
• A universal gate is a gate which can implement
any Boolean function without the need to use
any other gate type.

• The NAND and NOR gates are universal gates.

Advantages
• The NAND /NOR logic gate come in chips,
generally 4 gates to a chip and all containing
the same gate. The advantages are:
1. Less cost
2. Smaller PCB [PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD]
3. No need to stock all the other gates
NAND Gate
• A NAND gate is simply an inverted AND gate.
Output is high when either input X or input Y is
high or when both the inputs are low.

• The truth table clearly shows that the NAND

operation is the complement of the AND gate.
Implementing NOT gate using NAND gate

• All NAND input pins connected to the input

signal A gives an output A’.

• NOT(A AND A)
 Implementing AND gate with NAND gate

• An AND gate can be replaced by a NAND gate

OR
with its output complemented by a NAND
gate inverter.

• NOT(NOT(A AND B))

 Implementing OR gate with NAND gate

• An OR gate can be replaced by a NAND gate

with all its inputs complemented by NAND
gate inverters.

• NOT(NOT(A AND A) AND NOT(B AND B))

NOR Gate

• A NOR gate is simply an inverted OR gate.

Output is high when neither input A nor input
B is high.
• The truth table clearly shows that the NOR
operation is the complement of the OR.
 Implementing NOT gate using NOR gate
• All NOR input pins connected to the input
signal A gives an output A’.

• One NOR input pin is connected to the input

signal A while all other input pins are
connected to logic 0. The output will be A’.
 Implementing OR gate with NOR gate

• An OR gate can be replaced by NOR gates as

shown in the figure. The OR is replaced by a
NOR gate with its output complemented by a
NOR gate inverter.
Implementing AND Using only NOR Gates
• An AND gate can be replaced by NOR gates as
shown in the figure. The AND gate is replaced by
a NOR gate with all its inputs complemented by
NOR gate inverters.
Equivalent Gates
• A NAND gate is equivalent to an inverted-
input OR gate.

• A NOR gate is equivalent to an inverted-input

AND gate.

• An OR gate is equivalent to an inverted-input

NAND gate.