I am asked to find a minimum SOP implementation of a Hex to Braille code converter. Assuming my truth table is accurate, and D stands for "Don't Care", an 8-bit K-map seems impractical. Are there any other tools for hand analysis other than basic boolean algebra simplification?
Simplifying an 8-bit boolean expression
boolean-algebra
Best Answer
Tools like Logic Friday 1 or Espresso are able to minimize a truth-table with multiple outputs and don't cares.
With Logic Friday 1, your truth-table looks as follows:
It is possible to minimize the number of product terms in different ways:
The result is one minimized sum-of-products expression per output:
You can turn this into a multi-level circuit of Boolean gates:
In case you want to experiment with Karnaugh maps including don't cares, the following web application is helpful:
Karnaugh-Veitch Map, Marburg University
Note that a four-bit map is sufficient. You need one map per output.