Combinational Logic Design with Decoders

The MSI decoder chip has had significant impact on heuristic logic design. The intention of this correspondence is to begin to open the classical theory of combinational logic to include design with decoders. Several new kinds of implicants are introduced and a variation on the Karnaugh map is shown to be a useful tool. Examples are given (admittedly carefully chosen) to show the possible cost reduction by using design with decoders instead of with classical design.