CAPE Computer Science Unit 1

COMBINATIONAL CIRCUITS

Combinational circuits consist of logic gates and operate with binary values. The output, s, of combinational
circuit depends on the combination of the present inputs. The result is that combinational logic circuits have no
feedback, and any changes to the signals being applied to their inputs will immediately have an effect at the
output. In other words, in a Combinational Logic Circuit, the output is dependent at all times on the
combination of its inputs. Thus a combinational circuit is memoryless.

Below is a block diagram of a combination circuit:

The combinational circuit above has ‘n’ input variables and ‘m’ outputs. Each combination of input variables
will affect the output s.

Encoders
An encoder is a combinational circuit that performs the reverse operation of a decoder. It has maximum of 2n
input lines and n output lines.

4 to 2 Encoder

The 4 to 2 Encoder consists of four inputs Y3, Y2, Y1 & Y0 and two outputs A1 & A0. At any time, only one
of these 4 inputs can be ‘1’ in order to get the respective binary code at the output. Below is the block diagram
of a 4 to 2 encoder:

The truth table for the 4 to 2 binary encoder is as follows:

CAPE Computer Science Unit 1
Logical expressions for A1 and A0:

A1 = Y3 Ú Y2
A2 = Y3 Ú Y1

The above two Boolean functions A1 and A0 can be implemented using two input OR gates:

Decoders

The word “decoder” means to translate or decode coded information from one format into another.
A decoder is a combinational circuit that has n input lines and maximum 2n output lines. It is a circuit that
changes a code into a set of signals. Thus, a decoder generally decodes a binary value into a non-binary one by
setting exactly one of its n outputs to logic “1”.

If a binary decoder receives n inputs (usually grouped as a single Binary or Boolean number) it activates one
and only one of its 2n outputs based on that input with all other outputs deactivated.

2 to 4 Binary Decoder
Below are the block diagram and truth table for a 2 to 4 decoder:
CAPE Computer Science Unit 1
Memory Address Decoder

Binary Decoders are most often used in more complex digital systems to access a particular memory location
based on an “address” produced by a computing device. In modern microprocessor systems the amount of
memory required can be quite high and is generally more than one single memory chip alone.

One method of overcoming this problem is to connect lots of individual memory chips together and to read the
data on a common “Data Bus”. In order to prevent the data being “read” from each memory chip at the same
time, each memory chip is selected individually one at time and this process is known as Address Decoding.

In this type of application, the address represents the coded data input, and the outputs are the particular
memory element select signals. Each memory chip has an input called Chip Select or CS which is used by the
MPU (micro-processor unit) to select the appropriate memory chip when required. Generally, a logic “1” on the
chip select (CS) input selects the memory device while a logic “0” on the input de-selects it.

So, by selecting or de-selecting each chip one at a time, allows us to select the correct memory address device
for a particular address location. The advantage of address decoding is that when we specify a particular
memory address, the corresponding memory location exists ONLY in one of the chips.

For example, let us assume we have a very simple microprocessor system with only 1Kb (one thousand bytes)
of RAM memory and 10 memory address lines available. The memory consists of 128×8-bit (128×8 = 1024
bytes) devices and for 1Kb we would need 8 individual memory chips but in order to select the correct memory
chip we would also require a 3-to-8-line binary decoder.

Multiplexers

Multiplexing is the generic term used to describe the operation of sending one or more analogue or digital
signals over a common transmission line at different times or speeds and as such, the device we use to do just
that is called a multiplexer.

A multiplexer is a combinational circuit that has maximum of 2n data inputs, ‘n’ selection lines and single
output line. One of these data inputs will be connected to the output based on the values of selection lines.
Since there are ‘n’ selection lines, there will be 2n possible combinations of zeros and ones. So, each
combination will select only one data input.

2 x 1 Multiplexer
Below is a block diagram of 2x1 line multiplexer:
CAPE Computer Science Unit 1

4 x 1 Multiplexer

4x1 Multiplexer has four data inputs I3, I2, I1 & I0, two selection lines s1 & s0 and one output Y. The block
diagram of 4x1 Multiplexer is shown in the following figure.

One of these 4 inputs will be connected to the output based on the combination of inputs present at these two
selection lines. Truth table of 4x1 Multiplexer is shown below.

From the truth table, we can directly write the Boolean function for output, Y as

Y = (~S1Ù~S0ÙI0) Ú (~S1S0I1) Ú (S1S0I3)

We can implement this Boolean function using Inverters, AND gates & OR gate. The circuit diagram of 4x1
multiplexer is shown in the following figure.
CAPE Computer Science Unit 1

Applications of. multiplexers

A multiplexer is used in various applications wherein multiple data can be transmitted using a single line.

1. Communication System – A Multiplexer is used in communication systems, which has a transmission

system and also a communication network. A Multiplexer is used to increase the efficiency of the
communication system by allowing the transmission of data, such as audio & video data from different
channels via cables and single lines.
2. Computer Memory – A Multiplexer is used in computer memory to keep up a vast amount of memory in
the computers, and also to decrease the number of copper lines necessary to connect the memory to other
parts of the computer.
3. Telephone Network – A multiplexer is used in telephone networks to integrate the multiple audio signals
on a single line of transmission.
4. Transmission from the Computer System of a Satellite – A Multiplexer is used to transmit the data
signals from the computer system of a satellite to the ground system by using a GSM communication.

De-Multiplexer
A demultiplexer is a device, that has one input and multiple output lines which is used to send a signal to one of
the various devices. The most prominent distinction between a multiplexer and demultiplexer is that a
multiplexer takes two or a lot of signals and encodes them on a wire, whereas a demultiplexer reverses what the
multiplexer does.