From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!info-vax
Newsgroups: fa.info-vax
Title: 
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.7956
Posted: Thu Jul  8 12:59:28 1982
Received: Fri Jul  9 03:42:01 1982

>From decvax!microsof!fluke!vax1.witters@Berkeley Thu Jul  8 12:59:33 1982
Sorry about replying this way, but I don't know how to insert minus signs into
a path name.  The local version of inews barfs on minus signs.

Please put me on your mailing list for VLSI design.  The following is a request
I sent out earlier for a design program.  Perhaps you know of one that already
exists.

          I  am  looking for a program to help do logic design.  The program
     should  run under UNIX or VMS on a VAX, or under RSTS on an 11/70.  I am
     willing  to pay for it if the price is reasonable.  The specific problem
     I'm  trying  to solve is a state machine with eight inputs, three state
     variables, and four outputs.  I would rather use a computer to solve this
     problem  than  try  and  solve it using seven Karnaugh maps of eleven
     variables each.  Because of speed and space requirements I can't use a ROM
     based state machine so I have to use AND-OR-INVERT logic.

          The  ideal program would take as its input a state transition table,
     then  automatically reduce the number of states if possible, assign state
     variables to the states, perform logic minimization, and produce a set of
     Boolean  logic equations for the state machine.  I would be delighted if
     such  a program exists, but would settle for less.  A logic minimization
     program using the Quine-McCluskey algorithm or something similar would be
     useful  since  I  can always assign the states myself.  A program which
     generates  Karnaugh  maps  given a state transition table and the state
     assignments would also be useful.

          Below  is  part of a state transition table similar to the one I'm
     trying to solve.

Inputs                                                      Outputs
I1   I2   I3   I4   I5   I6   I7   I8   PRESENT   NEXT      O1   O2   O3   O4
                                        STATE     STATE

X    X    X    X    X    X    0    X    A         A         0    0    0    0
X    X    X    X    X    0    1    X    A         B         0    0    0    0
X    X    X    X    X    1    1    X    A         C         0    0    0    0

X    X    X    X    X    0    X    X    B         B         0    0    0    0
X    1    1    1    X    1    X    X    B         A         0    0    0    0
X    1    1    0    X    1    X    X    B         C         0    0    0    0
X    1    0    1    X    1    X    X    B         C         0    0    0    0
X    0    1    1    X    1    X    X    B         C         0    0    0    0

X    1    1    0    X    X    X    X    C         D         0    0    0    0
X    1    0    1    X    X    X    0    C         G         1    0    0    0
1    1    0    1    X    X    X    1    C         C         1    0    0    0
0    1    0    1    X    X    X    X    C         G         1    0    0    0
X    0    1    1    X    X    X    0    C         E         1    0    0    0
0    0    1    1    X    X    X    X    C         E         1    0    0    0
1    0    1    1    X    X    X    1    C         D         1    0    0    0


     0     =    logic    low
     1     =    logic    high
     X   =   don't   care   (high  or  low)
     A,B,C,D,E,F,G = states


          Please  note  that  this  is a logic design problem, not a logic
     simulation  problem.  All of the time sharing services I've tried either
     provide  nothing  or a simulation program.  The few design programs I've
     found won't allow 'don't care' terms in the input variables.

                                                  John Witters
                                                  John Fluke Mfg. Co. Inc.
                                                  P.O.B. C9090, M/S 243F
                                                  Everett, Washington  98206

                                                  (206) 356-5274

P.S.   For those of you who may have seen this message before, I apologize.
       We have been having trouble with the local implementation of
       netnews.  I tried sending this out several times.

                                                  -JDW