I have a question concerning Karnough maps. I have asked my professor and have talked to other students concerning it's use in logic circuit design, which is a topic in my computer organization / architecture class this semester. I didn't really get a clear answer, but how many of you (from one time to another in school or in the industry) prefer this method over truth tables and algebraic simplification. Is it a required standard to use one when designing circuits, or are other methods used instead? I know that sometimes there is only one way, but are there other ways besides the Karnough map to solve complex circuitry problems? Relating to programming, I have my own way of problem solving as so everyone else has in their approach to writing a program. Please give me your own personal opinion on this matter. If I appear to be ignorant on this matter or if it doesn't make any sense please let me know. I am curious in this area and I am trying to learn as much as I can in this area before my next lecture. - Rolos

As IR and I recently discussed, we really think K-maps are cool. You can do the same thing if you're the king of boolean algebra, but most of us aren't. They're really pretty simple, so there's no reason not to use them. In addition, K-maps can take into consideration other factors that need to be accounted for in circuit design, such as unit load, that are extremely time consuming to do using other methods... -SN P.S. Anybody notice the simultaneous disappearance of micah and the arrest of the 18 year old blaster virus creator? Fishy.

K-maps are really based on the theory of boolean truth table adjacencies. So to answer part of your question, people who use k-maps will also prefer truth tables. They provide a simplified approach to determining realizations of complex combinatational logic problems. For that reason I prefer them over anything algebraic related. I doubt the usage of k-maps is required when designing circuits, however, they come in handy a great deal. I am sure there are other ways to solve complex circuitry problems. There are even programs that will do this for you, for instance (Digital Works). I have used K-maps only in an educational environment. I have not had a reason, on any job, to refer to k-maps... but keep in mind that my emphasis is software, not hardware. Everyone has their own method of problem solving. My personal choice and methods are far from what is the standard and also far from what is taught in school. For instance, I do not flow-chart, I do not keep my fingers on the home row keys when typing, etc. I take a project and its specs and run with them... debugging on the way. Only if its required do I flow chart it, normally my comments and various other documentation will suffice in relation to program flow. Maybe I answered your question, or a piece of it, dunno really... lol Let me know. Infinite Recursion

SN: We must have posted at the same time.. lol, didn't see your post. Yup k-maps are cool... but can get as equally complex as propositional calculus. I've been wondering where Micah is. *Ponders the thought of him being the Blaster worm creator*. If he is not the Blaster worm creator, maybe he is the Sobig Worm creator and is hiding out because he don't want to get caught by the feds. lol Infinite Recursion

"Is it a required standard to use one when designing circuits, or are other methods used instead?" K-maps are not used in modern design. You of course need to know them, because they are part of the building blocks to complex digital logic. You will find that programs are used for the simple tasks in designing logic circuitry - the harder stuff is left for the engineers to figure out. Let me quote this one site: http://gdit.iiit.net/~kishore_k/CompSys/kmap.html "The Karnaugh technique is generally not considered to have any application for functions with more than six inputs." No one has the time to figure the logic of a modern processor by hand (or in their head). You employ the computer, and with it the full faculties of algebra. K-maps are for human benefit and understanding. "are there other ways besides the Karnough map to solve complex circuitry problems?" Of course, and since there are circuitry problems no one has even encountered, there are also solutions and methodologies left unexplored. I am sure there will be ways to teach the complexity of future designs in a fashion similar to K-maps. Dr Math has a way with these things... http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/51855.html

anonproxy: That is some really good info. thanks a lot for the links, I will put them to very good use. I do find the algebraic approach to everything more appealing and much simpler, I don't know why. I guess I like to choose the hard way? 8) This is just the very beginning of my class, and our professor had assumed we had knowledge of the Karnaugh map. Just the way he ran through it confused the $hit out of me. We did do circuit building/logic in the past, but not with the map. In my introduction to CS class we were introduced to the algebraic approach and circuit design using something similar to XILINX software. Our department chair designed a Java applet to design logic circuits that we used. IR & SN: I also pondered that very same thing. He would usually participate in most of these lively discussions. I wish he was around for that jerk who posted a topic on 'altering' game servers. Or was he? It wasn't up long enough for me to take notice of everyone besides Don and SN (you guys should've thrashed him). I had a good mind to leave my 4 cents, but the slurs that would have left my finger tips would have also gotten me removed from this forum. That guy should take his place on the throne as the King of Idiots. Now I know that stupid things like 'that' exist in this world. We could've suggested that he posted his IP address, take down his firewall and leave his ports open. Then we could 'send' him an example of how to really 'alter' that games server that he was talking about. - Rolos

K-maps are just used in begineer level of digital design but when you want to talk about complex combinational circuits you have to think in other tecniques such as Qunie-McClusky Algorithm which is more systematical & can be easily programmed (i wrote it myself :) ) & it will work fine up to 23 variables but it will crash after that because it has a 2^n complexity