CSE20 Lecture 15

Karnaugh Maps

Professor CK Cheng
CSE Dept.
UC San Diego

1
 Example

Given F = m (3, 5), D = m (0, 4)

b
0 2 6 4
- 0 0 -
1 3 7 5
c 0 1 0 1

Primes: m (3), m (4, 5)

Essential Primes: m (3), m (4, 5)
Min exp: f(a,b,c) = a’bc + ab’
2
Boolean Expression K-Map

Variable xi and its  Two half planes Rxi,

compliment xi’ and Rxi’
Product term P  Intersect of Rxi* for all i
(xi* e.g. b’c’) in P e.g. Rb’ intersect Rc’
Each minterm  One element cell
Two minterms are adjacent
iff they differ by one and The two cells are
only one variable, eg:  neighbors
abc’d, abc’d’

Each minterm has n  Each cell has n

adjacent minterms neighbors
3
Procedure Input: Two sets of F R D
1) Draw K-map.
2) Expand all terms in F to their largest
sizes (prime implicants).
3) Choose the essential prime
implicants.
4) Try all combinations to find the
minimal sum of products. (This is the
most difficult step)

4
 Example
Given F = m (0, 1, 2, 8, 14)
D = m (9, 10)

1. Draw K-map
b
0 4 12 8
1 0 0 1
1 5 13 9
1 0 0 -
d
3 7 15 11
0 0 0 0
c
2 6 14 10
1 0 1 -
a 5
2. Prime Implicants: Largest rectangles that intersect On Set but
not Off Set that correspond to product terms.
m (0, 1, 8, 9), m (0, 2, 8, 10), m (10, 14)

3. Essential Primes: Prime implicants covering elements in F that

are not covered by any other primes.
m (0, 1, 8, 9), m (0, 2, 8, 10), m (10, 14)

4. Min exp: m (0, 1, 8, 9) + m (0, 2, 8, 10) + m (10, 14)

f(a,b,c,d) = b’c’ + b’d’+ acd’

6
 Another example

Given F = m (0, 3, 4, 14, 15)

D = m (1, 11, 13)

1. Draw K-map b
0 4 12 8
1 1 0 0
1 5 13 9
- 0 - 0
d
3 7 15 11
1 0 1 -
c
2 6 14 10
0 0 1 0

a 7
2. Prime Implicants: Largest rectangles that intersect On Set but
not Off Set that correspond to product terms.
E.g. m (0, 4), m (0, 1), m (1, 3), m (3, 11), m (14, 15),
m (11, 15), m (13, 15)

3. Essential Primes: Prime implicants covering elements in F that

are not covered by any other primes.
E.g. m (0, 4), m (14, 15)

4. Min exp: m (0, 4), m (14, 15), ( m (3, 11) or m (1,3) )

f(a,b,c,d) = a’c’d’+ abc+ b’cd (or a’b’d)
8
 Five variable K-map
c c
0 4 12 8 16 20 28 24

1 5 13 9 17 21 29 25

3 7 15 11 e 19 23 31 27 e
d 2 6 14 10 d 18 22 30 26

b b
a

Neighbors of m5 are: minterms 1, 4, 7, 13, and 21

Neighbors of m10 are: minterms 2, 8, 11, 14, and 26

9
 Six variable K-map
d d
0 4 12 8 16 20 28 24

1 5 13 9 17 21 29 25

3 7 15 11
f 19 23 31 27
f
e 2 6 14 10
e 18 22 30 26

c c
d d
32 36 44 40 48 52 60 56

33 37 45 41 49 53 61 57
a
35 39 47 43 f 51 55 63 59 f
e 34 38 46 42 e 50 54 62 58

c c
b 10
Implicant: A product term that has non-empty intersection with
on-setF and does not intersect with off-set R .
Prime Implicant: An implicant that is not covered by any other
implicant.
Essential Prime Implicant: A prime implicant that has an element
in on-set F but this element is not covered by any other prime
implicants.
Implicate: A sum term that has non-empty intersection with off-set
R and does not intersect with on-set F.
Prime Implicate: An implicate that is not covered by any other
implicate.
Essential Prime Implicate: A prime implicate that has an element
in off-set R but this element is not covered by any other prime
implicates.
11
 Min product of sums

Given F = m (3, 5), D = m (0, 4)

b
0 2 6 4
- 0 0 -
1 3 7 5
c 0 1 0 1

Prime Implicates: M (0,1), M (0,2,4,6), M (6,7)

Essential Primes Implicates: M (0,1), M (0,2,4,6), M (6,7)
Min exp: f(a,b,c) = (a+b)(c )(a’+b’)
12
 Corresponding Circuit

f(a,b,c,d)
a’

b’

c
13
 Quiz
Given F = m (0, 6), D = m (2, 7),
1.Fill the Karnaugh map.
2.Identify all prime implicates
3.Identify all essential primes.
4.Find a minimal expression in
product of sums format.
14
 Another min product of sums example

Given R = m (3, 11, 12, 13, 14)

D = m (4, 8, 10)

K-map b
0 4 12 8
1 - 0 -
1 5 13 9
1 1 0 1
d
3 7 15 11
0 1 1 0
c
2 6 14 10
1 1 0 -

a 15
Prime Implicates: M (3,11), M (12,13), M(10,11),
M (4,12), M (8,10,12,14)

Essential Primes: M (8,10,12,14), M (3,11),

M(12,13)

Exercise: Derive f(a,b,c,d) in minimal product of sums

expression.

16
 Summary
•Karnaugh Maps: Two dimensional truth
table which mimics an n-variable cube
with imaginary adjacency.
•Theme: Relation between Boolean algebra
and Karnaugh maps.
•Key words: Primes, Essential Primes
•Goal: Minimal expression in the format of
sum-of-products or product-of-sums.

17