CS 231 Fall 2011

Midterm Exam 1
October 3, 2011

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

Name:

DONT OPEN YOUR EXAM UNTIL SO INSTRUCTED

Important notes:

This exam has 12 pages (front and back), including the cover sheet and 2 blank pages.
Please write your netID on every page.
There are 6 questions, with the value of each indicated.
You have 120 minutes, so budget your time!
No written references or calculators are allowed.
Please show all your work to ensure you receive full credit.
Partial credit may be awarded for work shown as well.
Do not spend too much time on questions worth very few points.
We will not answer questions regarding course material.

Question

Maximum

24

12

20

16

20

Total

100

Your Score

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

This page intentionally left blank. You may use this page for your scratch work.

NetID:_____________

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

Question 1: Multiple Choice & Short Answer (24 pts)

A. Which of the following combinations of gates cannot implement all Boolean functions?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

AND, OR, NOT

AND, NOT
NAND
NOR
XOR

B. F(x,y,z) = (0,3,4,7) contains the following product of maxterms:

(a) x'y'z' + x'yz + xy'z'+ xyz
(b) (x'+y'+z') (x'+y+z)(x+y'+z')(x+y+z)
(c) (x'+y'+z') (x+y'+z') (x'+y+z) (x+y+z)
(d) (x'+y'+z) (x'+y+z') (x+y'+z) (x+y+z')
C. Convert the decimal number 174.875 to unsigned binary, hexadecimal, and octal (base 8).
Clearly show your conversion steps.
i. Binary = 10101110.111

ii. Hexadecimal = AE.E

iii. Octal = 256.7

D. Given F(x,y,z) = m(1,3,4,7) and G(x,y,z)= M(0,1,5,6):

i. What is the product of maxterms for F using the notation?
(0,2,5,6)
ii. Write out the function F(x,y,z) as a sum of minterms using the xyz + notation.
xyz + xyz + xyz + xyz
iii. Write out the function G as a product of maxterms using the (x+y+z) notation.
(x+y+z)(x+y+z)(x+y+z)(x+y+z)

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

Question 1 continued
E. Which circuit implements f(x,y,z) = m(1,3,4,6) ?
(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

F. Implement the circuit below using only NAND gates. Use a minimal number of NAND
gates.

NetID:_____________

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

Question 1 continued...
G. How many bits are required to represent the number 84 as an unsigned binary integer?
______7_________
H. Please give the sum of minterms form for function F(x,y,z), implemented below:
____(5,6,7)____________________________________

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

Question 2: Boolean Algebra (10 pts)

Use Boolean algebra to simplify the following as much as possible:
(b+bc + c)(ab + ac + bc) + ab + ac + bc
Show the steps of your derivations and state which axioms (or numbers in the table below) you
are using at each step.
ab + abc + abc + bc + abc + ab + ac + bc
ab + ab + abc + abc + bc + abc + ac + bc
a + abc + abc + bc + abc + ac + bc
a + bc + ac + bc
a + ac + bc + bc
a + ac + bc
a + c + bc
a+c

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

x+0 = x
x+1 = 1
x+x = x
x+x' = 1
(x')' = x
x+y = y+x
x+(y+z) = (x+y)+z
x(y+z) = xy+xz
(x+y)' = x'y'
x+xy = x
xy+xy' = x
x+x'y = x+y

Rule 6 (x + y = y + x)
Rule 11 (xy + xy = x)
Rule 10 (x + xy = x)
Rule 7 (x + y = y + x)
Rule 3 (x + x = x)
Rule 12 (x + xy = x + y)
Rule 10 (x + xy = x)

x*1 = x
x*0 = 0
x*x = x
x*x' = 0
xy = yx
x(yz) = (xy)z
x+yz = (x+y)(x+z)
(xy)' = x'+y'
x(x+y) = x
(x+y)(x+y') = x
x(x'+y) = xy

(Commutative)
(Associative)
(Distributive)
(DeMorgans)

NetID:_____________

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

Question 3: Karnaugh Maps (20 pts)

Consider the function F(I,J,K,L) = m(0,3,4,5,10,11,15) with dont care terms
d(I,J,K,L) = m(2,8,13).
A) Create a Karnaugh Map
K'
I'
I

B) List all of the Prime Implicants. Recall that an implicant of a function F is a product of literals
P where all minterms of P are true in F. If the removal of any literal results in a product term
that is not an implicant of F, then P is a prime implicant.
J'L',J'K, I'JK', IKL, I'K'L', JK'L, IJL
C)List all of the essential prime implicants. Recall that a prime implicant is essential if and only
if it includes a minterm that is not included by any other prime implicant.
J'K
D) List all of the non-essential prime implicants.
J'L', I'JK', IKL, I'K'L', JK'L, IJL
E) Give the minimal sum-of-products expression of F.
J'L'+J'K+I'JK'+IKL or J'L'+J'K+I'JK'+IJL

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

Question 4: Decoders (8 pts)

A special 4-to-6 decoder is to be designed. The input codes used are 000 through 101. For a
given code applied, the output Di, with i equal to the decimal equivalent of the code is 1 and all
other outputs are 0. You are provided with an unlimited supply of 2-to-4 decoders, 1-to-2
decoders. Apart from the decoders you can use only NOT gates.

NetID:_____________

CS 231 Fall 2011 Midterm 1

Question 5: Multiplexers (16 pts)

Solve the following questions for function F (A,B,C,D) = m(2,3,8,10,13,14)
(a) Express F using the 8X1 multiplexer shown in the diagram below. (can use inverters
and NOR gates)
(b) Express F using the 4X1 multiplexer shown in the diagram below. (can use inverters
and NOR gates)
Solution:
(a).

(b).

10