Xref: utzoo comp.arch:6249 comp.edu:1338
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!uwvax!puff!quale
From: quale@puff.cs.wisc.edu (quale)
Newsgroups: comp.arch,comp.edu
Subject: Re: Computer Organization Text Needed
Summary: Karnough maps are fossils
Keywords: book, ~Mano, Karnough mapping, logic minimization
Message-ID: <1764@puff.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 4 Sep 88 05:33:05 GMT
References: <110@ms3.UUCP> <2930@hubcap.UUCP> <Sep.2.13.11.01.1988.24296@caip.rutgers.edu>
Reply-To: upl@puff.CS.WISC.EDU
Organization: Undergraduate Projects Laboratory, Univ. of Wisconsin -- Madison
Lines: 37

In article <Sep.2.13.11.01.1988.24296@caip.rutgers.edu> segall@caip.rutgers.edu (Ed Segall) writes:
>
>This is a good, very readable book.  However, for the "ultimate" in
>treatment of Karnough map minimization in a digital logic text, see
>
>Fletcher, William I.,  "An Engineering Approach to Digital Design",
>Prentice-Hall, 1980
>
>Using the Variable-Entered-Map technique he describes allows reduction
>of systems that one would not normally wish to use Karnough maps on -
>e.g.  6 variables is not difficult.

Why are Karnough maps important to computer organization?
In fact, why would you want to use Karnough mapping on any digital system?

Aside from the fact that Karnough maps are really an implementation
technique, I think that they are no longer an apropriate tool for
logic design for any level of hardware.

I have a bunch of reasons why I think that Karnough maps are a matter of
historical interest only, but before boring you with them I would like to
know if anyone really uses this minimization technique any more.

(As an aside, both the texts by Fletcher and one mentioned previously by
Winkel & Prosser are excellent, and for logic design I recommend them both.
"An Engineering Approach to Digital Design" is NOT suitable however for a
class in Computer Organization, and this is not one of the book's goals.
My favorite of the texts mentioned so far is the book by Tannenbaum,
but I have not seen the most recent edition of "The Art of Digital Design"
by Winkel & Prosser.  I don't think it's main goal is to teach Computer
Organization either, but perhaps they could be persuaded to write another
book.:-)

 -- Doug Quale

 DISCLAIMER: The above are the views of a (math) undergrad,
             not yet wise in the ways of the (real) world....