Multiple-valued logic operations with universal literals

We propose the use of universal literals as a means of reducing the cost of multiple-valued circuits. A universal literal is any function on one variable. The target architecture is a sum-of-products structure, where sum is the truncated sum and product terms consist of the minimum of universal literals. A significant cost reduction is demonstrated over the conventional window literal. The proposed synthesis method starts with a sum-of-products expression. Simplification occurs as pairs of product terms are merged and reshaped. We show under what conditions such operations can be applied.<>