MIPRO 2020, September 28 - October 02, 2020, Opatija, Croatia
FPGA Design of Boolean Functions Using
a Cascade of Decoders and Logic Gates
A.N. Borodzhieva*, I.I. Stoev**, I.D. Tsvetkova*, S.L. Zaharieva** and V.A. Mutkov**
*University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”/Department of Telecommunications, Ruse, Bulgaria
**University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”/Department of Electronics, Ruse, Bulgaria
{aborodzhieva, istoev, itsvetkova, szaharieva, vmutkov}@uni-ruse.bg
Abstract – The paper presents active and interactive
methods used for improving knowledge that students will
get while implementing different Boolean functions with a
cascade of full decoders and OR logic gates based on their
schematic view and their testing on the laboratory board
built with devices of Spartan-6 FPGA Family. The courses
“Digital Electronics” and “Pulse and Digital Devices”
introduce the students-bachelors of the electrical specialties
in our University to the main problems of digital electronics.
Keywords – Boolean functions, combinational circuits,
decoders, digital electronics, FPGAs, logic gates, Xilinx.
I. INTRODUCTION
Digital electronics is a part of the modern equipment
like washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, toasters, air
conditioners, game consoles, etc. The fundamentals and
implementation of digital electronics units are basic for
understanding the principle of operation and design of
computers and communications, military and security
equipment, consumer and industrial electronics, embedded
systems, and so on [1].
At the University of Ruse one of the main courses is
“Digital Electronics” in the curriculum of electrical and
computer engineering programs. The course covers
various topics in the field of synthesis and analysis of
logic devices and it is based on two components – lectures
and laboratory exercises. For the purposes of the effective
educational process for electrical and computer engineers,
a variety of active and interactive learning methods are
used during the lab exercises together with the elements of
the traditional presentation-based lectures. For faster and
longer-lasting learning of the material being studied,
active learning techniques such as case-based and
problem-based learning, one-minute papers and “think-
pair-share”, decision-making activities, etc. are used
[2, 3, 4]. Modelling and simulating, as well as FPGA
designing give the students opportunities for finding a
solution for different practical tasks and better
understanding the material. Critical thinking, creativity,
collaboration, research and problem solving, innovations
This publication is developed within the frame of Project “Forest
Monitoring System for Early Fire Detection and Assessment in the
Balkan-Med Area” (SFEDA), project code 2263, financed under the
transnational Cooperation Programme INTERREG V-B "Balkan-
Mediterranean 2014-2020", co-funded by the European Union and the
National Funds of the participating countries and by the National
Scientific Program ICTinSES, financed by the Ministry of Education
and Science of Bulgaria.
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and communication skills are used and developed in the
laboratory exercises [2, 3, 4].
First, different active and interactive learning methods
used in the training process are considered in the paper.
Next, active learning in FPGA design of Boolean
functions using a cascade of decoders is described.
II. ACTIVE AND INTERACTIVE LEARNING METHODS
USED IN THE TRAINING PROCESS
Usually, students are asked to do some activities
outside of school. In primary and secondary education,
these activities are often referred to as home-based
activities (homework) and are done by students at home.
In higher education, these extracurricular activities are
often called assignments (tasks), and students typically
perform them at home, in libraries, or at other university
facilities. Based on these features, education can be
generalized as “lessons at classroom and homework at
home”. This model, known as a teaching-based model, has
been used for decades at each educational level and it is
often associated with passive student learning (Fig. 1).
Flip teaching presents a total change of perspective,
seeking the active participation of students in the learning
process. It performs an interchange of the two main
activities of the traditional model: lectures and homework.
The main change is that lessons are delivered at home and
homework – in the classroom [5].
The active learning method consists of a group of tools
allowing students to “actively” participate in the course by
engaging in activities proposed to improve their skills
rather than attempting to absorb unilaterally transmitted
information.
Active Learning
Passive Learning
Define
Demonstrate
Analyze
List
Apply
Define
Describe
Practice
Create
Explain Evaluate
Figure 1. Comparison of passive and active learning
 The active learning method (Fig. 1) requires students
to implement a variety of activities to generate full
awareness of what they are doing as content processing
enables them to learn. In essence, it is a student-centered
approach in which the student determines his or her pace
and style of learning and finds support in his or her peers,
and where teachers play the role of “guiding and
motivating” the student in the learning process. The active
learning approach can be related to a variety of
techniques, ranging from traditional problem-solving to
case studies, learning from doing, learning through doing,
discussion activities, or peer training. Modern
technologies play an important role in the learning
process, but they are not essential, so problems based on
simulations and games are included along with the use of
mobile devices and ultimately classrooms equipped with
modern high technologies. Definitely, active learning
arouses more student interest than traditional lectures,
providing flexibility for course development, and
encourages a tendency to take on individual and group
challenges. In engineering education, experimental-based
learning and the group approach offer activities where
motivation and creativity are essential. Students are
provided with tools to build their own knowledge,
modified dynamically, along with the capacity to assess
the difficulty of the problem and to determine the criterion
to be used to solve it [6].
Continuous assessment throughout the course is
considered motivating and maintains regular training
habits. Therefore, student assessment requires rethinking.
Rather than just an end-of-course exam, project work,
exercises and course participation are also an essential part
of the assessment. A joint (collaborative) assessment of
the project work is used to motivate cooperation, but
exams are evaluated individually to prevent free riding.
The visualization using numerical software (for example,
Scilab, MATLAB, Logisim, Multisim, etc.) aims to focus
the learning on understanding the material. Design
exercises and practical measurements are used to
familiarize students with laboratory equipment and to
motivate them studying the theory [7].
Some of the interactive teaching styles and the most
effective ways to engage the students’ interests are:
1) brainstorming; 2) think-pair-share; 3) buzz session;
4) incident process; 5) question and answer sessions [8].
The interactive brainstorming is performed in group
sessions. It is useful for generating creative ideas and it
helps students learn together in a group. Different types of
interactive brainstorming are presented in Fig. 2 [8].
Team-idea
mapping
Individual
Brainstorming
brainstorming
Structured
and
Reverse or
negative
unstructured thinking
Figure 2. Brainstorming
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In the process of think, pair, and share, the lecturer
formulates a problem or a question, then groups students
in pairs and gives each pair time enough to make a
conclusion on the problem, and permits each participant to
define the conclusion in voice, for example one student
explains a concept while the other student evaluates what
is being learned. Applying variations of the process, the
students are engaged in the learning process,
communicating, and retaining more information [8].
During the buzz sessions, students participate in
session groups focused on a single topic. Every student in
each group contributes ideas. The teacher encourages
discussion and collaboration among the students in each
group. During the buzz sessions, students should learn
from one another’s experiences [8].
The incident process is a teaching style involving case
study formats. The focus of this process is on learning
how to solve real problems involving real people,
providing small groups of students with details from real
situations and then ask them to find out a workable
solution. This teaching style prepares the students for life
outside the classroom [8].
During the Q&A sessions, each time when the topic is
introduced, before the formal lecture, the teacher asks the
students to write the thematic questions on cards. After
collecting the cards, the teacher mixes them up, reads
them and answers the questions generated by students [8].
III. ACTIVE LEARNING IN FPGA DESIGN OF BOOLEAN
FUNCTIONS USING A CASCADE OF DECODERS
A. Applied active and interactive methods during
implementation of logical functions with decoders
Based on the flip teaching, realizing an interchange of
the two main activities of the traditional model (lectures
and homework), during the classes in the courses “Digital
Electronics” and “Pulse and Digital Devices” lessons are
delivered at home and homework – in the classroom.
Before the lesson, students should get acquainted with the
theoretical issues discussed in detail in [9, 10] (or in other
sources in Internet), as well as with the possibilities of
Logisim [11] for studying digital circuits (Fig. 3) – for
example, definition of decoder (Fig. 3 A), the truth table
(Fig. 3 B), the output functions (Fig. 3 C) and the block
diagram (Fig. 3 D) of a complete decoder with two inputs
and four outputs. Students need to test the circuit
(Fig. 3 D) for all four input combinations and the results
observed are shown in Fig. 3 E, where the active input and
output signals are 1s. For this result, students need to use
the software product Logisim [11].
It is also necessary for students to get acquainted in
advance with the solved two examples – Problem 1 and
Problem 2 (Fig. 4), which allow the implementation of a
Group passing Boolean function with a decoder and additional logic
gates (Problem 1) or by cascading decoders and additional
logic gates (Problem 2).
Students learning the courses “Digital Electronics” and
“Pulse and Digital Devices” can use individual
brainstorming or think, pair, and share activities to solve
these problems and test the logic circuit shown in Fig. 3 E.
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 Decoders A
The decoders are devices with n inputs and m outputs  m  2n  , providing an active signal (1 or 0) to one
of the outputs according to the combination of the logical signals supplied to the inputs.
The truth table, the output functions and the structural diagram built in Logisim of a full decoder with
2 inputs and 4 outputs are presented below.
Truth Table of a Full Decoder with 2 Inputs and 4
Outputs (Active Input and Output Signals: Logic 1) Structural diagram of the decoder D

Output functions of the decoder C

Y0  x1 x2 ; Y1  x1 x2 ; Y2  x1 x2 ; Y3  x1 x2 .

Testing the circuit for all 4 input combinations

E

Figure 3. Flip teaching (an interchange of lectures and homework) during the classes in the courses “Digital Electronics” and “Pulse and Digital
Devices”

Problem 1. Using a three-input decoder and additional logic gates, construct a structural diagram that
implements the function f  x1,x2 ,x3     0,1, 3, 7  if the decoder has: a) inverse outputs (integrated circuit
SN74LS138, with three enabling inputs E1 , E2 , E3 ); b) normal outputs. Justify the type of the additional logic gate
by describing the operation of the circuit for the input combinations with numbers 3 and 6.
Depending on the decoder type (normal or inverse outputs) and the way of describing the function (Perfect
Disjunctive Normal Form, PDNF, or Perfect Conjunctive Normal Form, PCNF), the chosen additional logic gate
is given in the table below.

Problem 2. Using two-input decoders with normal outputs and enabling inputs and additional logic gates,
construct a structural circuit that implements the Boolean function f  x1,x2 ,x3 ,x4    1, 5, 6, 8,12,13,15 .
Solution: In the table below the minterms m corresponding to the input combinations for which the function
has a value of 1 are given. Each minterm is divided into two parts: the first one  m includes the variables x1 and
x2 , and the second one  m  – x3 and x4 . Each part can be obtained at the output of a decoder with two inputs.
The products of the first two arguments can be obtained at the outputs of a two-input decoder and can be used as
enabling signals to the next stage composed of two-input decoders whose information inputs are connected to the
other two variables. In this way, the cascade of the decoders is realized and shown in the figure below. The
justification of the type of the additional logic gate is based on the results presented in the table above.

Figure 4. Problem 1 and Problem 2 – formulation and solution

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 Problem 3. Investigate the operation of a two-
input decoder with normal outputs and an
enabling input and determine the function
implemented by cascading such decoders and
with an additional logic gate (OR). Fill in the
truth table of the device after programming
FPGA with the file casc_Dc_WG_xx.bit, where
xx = 01...30. The device realizes the function of
four variables by a cascade of two-input decoders
with normal outputs and an additional logic gate
(OR) (Problem 2). After testing with the
laboratory board and completing the truth table,
build the schematic of the device used for
creating the bit file in the environment of
ISE Project Navigator. If you have some free
time during the practical classes, create the bit
file in ISE Project Navigator by yourself.

Figure 5. Problem 3 – formulation and solution

addition, they need to provide evidence from their work

B. Applied active and interactive methods during
implementation of logical functions with decoders
Students from the second year study some basic
disciplines, where they learn essential skills. During the
classes in the courses “Digital Electronics” and “Pulse and
Digital Devices”, students have to realize a function of
3 arguments with a three-input full decoder (Problem 1)
and a function of 4 arguments by cascading two-input full
decoders (Problem 2) in three ways: 1) manually; 2) by
constructing and testing the circuit in Logisim; 3) by
constructing and testing (or only testing) the circuit in the
environment of ISE Project Navigator [12]. Here students
need to use learning from doing, learning through doing,
discussion activities, or peer training. A collaborative
(joint) assessment of the project work is used to motivate
cooperation, but exams are evaluated individually to
prevent free riding. The visualization using software (for
example, in this case, Logisim and ISE Project Navigator)
aims to focus the learning on understanding the material.
During the classes, students get formulated tasks like
those shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. For every student, there
is a personal assignment. They need to solve them and
present a report with solutions like those shown in Fig. 4
and Fig. 5. The solution of the first problem is presented
in details in [9].
presenting a report consisting of step-by-step solutions.
The third assignment gives the students an opportunity
to combine them in pairs, so using the activity think, pair
and share they can get the solution. Also, this problem is
aimed to provoke them to use learning through doing by
programming. Students are divided in groups and they can
help each other using discussion activities, or peer
training. The generated bit file allows the exploration of
two similar devices. After programming FPGA with the
bit file, two students can work simultaneously on the lab-
board. In the last part of this problem, students use a lab-
board to test their solutions. An example of a screenshot
from the software used for a part of the solution of a
student, on the screen of the computer, is given in Fig. 5.
A photo taken when testing with the lab-board is shown in
Fig. 5 (the students around the board).
In engineering education, experimentally based
learning and the group approach offer activities in which
motivation and creativity are essential. These are basic
skills that modern students must possess in order to be
competitive. Students are given the opportunity to build
their own knowledge that can be dynamically modified,
along with defining the criteria to be used to solve the
problems.

Students can solve alone the first and the second Students enrolled in the courses “Digital Electronics”
assignment. To solve these problems students can use and “Pulse and Digital Devices” have the opportunity to
individual brainstorming or team idea mapping. In learn some essential skills, which will make them
successful engineers. Lecturers try to improve knowledge

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 of the students using active and interactive methods and
make them competitive in the future.
IV. CONCLUSION
The lectures in the courses “Digital Electronics” and
“Pulse and Digital Devices” at the University of Ruse are
really interested in improving the engineering education
by applying active learning and interactive methods for
attracting the students’ attention, presented in the paper
and promoting them within our university community.
On the basis of configuring the logic blocks in FPGAs
complex Boolean functions are implemented. In the
course “Digital Electronics” and “Pulse and Digital
Devices” students study how to build a circuit using logic
gates (for example, only 2-input NAND gates) or some
combinational units (for example, decoders and
multiplexers). One of the topics covered in the courses is
the design of devices implementing Boolean functions
using decoders or a cascade of decoders and logic gates,
presented in the paper.
The laboratory exercises help the students to develop
design experience and problem-solving skills, important
for the engineering profession. They gain skills for
analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating design information
and problems. Therefore, it is very important for the
lectures in the universities to develop effective teaching
pedagogical methods to involve students in active learning
for the laboratory classes in digital electronics.
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