REDUCE STATE TABLES BY COMPUTER.

Presented is a computer-aided design program that finds a minimum function description for sequential machines with up to 16 memory states and eight input combinations. The manual design equivalent requires seven-variable Karnaugh maps to develop an efficient realization. The program capitalizes on don\u27t cares to improve the design. All the program needs as input is the design requirements in the form of a state table. First an algorithm minimizes the number of memory states. This reduces hardware cost, since with fewer states, fewer memory and logic elements will be used. Next a binary code is assigned to each state. The rules used for the code assignment further reduce the number of gates needed. Finally the Boolean functions for the next state inputs to the memory elements, and for the machine\u27s outputs, are developed. The portions of the program presented in this article deal exclusively with state minimization