Problem 2.4.

1 Combinational Logic Student Design:

Date of Birth
Introduction
In your digital electronics class of 20, there is a 6.8% probability that two of you share the
same date of birth. This is assuming that you are all the same year level (sophomore/junior).
If you are not, the probability would be even lower.
Your date of birth makes you unique. We are going to use this uniqueness to design a circuit
that will display your date of birth on a single seven-segment display. Admittedly, this design
does not have any real practical application, but it is a fun exercise that will bring together all
of the design techniques that you have learned in this lesson.
Your date of birth may make you unique in your class, but in 2006 there were
263,898,574,096 births world-wide. This means that on a daily basis, over 700,000,000
individuals share the same date of birth.

Equipment

Circuit Design Software (CDS)

Breadboard (DMS or DLB)
#22 Gauge solid wire
Integrated Circuits:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

74LS00
74LS02
74LS04
74LS08
74LS10
74LS11
74LS27
74LS32

Common Cathode Seven-Segment Display (on DMS or DLB)

Procedure
Design
1. Design a combinational logic circuit that has three inputs and seven outputs. As the
inputs (X, Y, and Z) count from 000 to 111, the seven outputs (a) through (g) will
generate the logic required to display your date of birth on a seven-segment display.
2014 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Digital Electronics Problem 2.4.1 Combinational Logic Student Design: Date of Birth Page 1

The date of birth will be displayed in the MM-DD-YY format. For example if you were
born on May 12, 1993, your design will display 05-12-93.

2. Detail Design Specification:

The seven-segment display must be a common cathode.

Current limiting resistors (150 - 270) must be used.
The Karnaugh mapping technique must be used to obtain the simplified logic
expression for each of the seven segments.
At least one segment must be implemented with NAND only logic.
At least one segment must be implemented with NOR only logic.
The implementation of the remaining segments is left to your discretion.

Simulation
3. Using the Circuit Design Software (CDS), enter and test your Date of Birth design. Use
switches for the inputs X, Y, & Z. Verify that the circuit is working as designed. If the
circuit is not working properly, review your design work and circuit implementation to
identify your mistake. Make any necessary corrections and retest. Be sure to
document all changes in your engineering notebook/portfolio.

Prototyping
4. Using the Digital Logic Board (DLB), build and test your Date of Birth design. Verify
that the circuit is working as designed. If it is not, do not change your design. You know
that your design is good because you simulated it. If your circuit isnt working correctly,
you must have built something incorrectly. Review your circuit implementation to
identify your mistakes, make the necessary corrections, and retest. Be sure to
document all changes in your engineering notebook.

Conclusion
Using your engineering notebook/portfolio as a guide, write a conclusion (minimum 250
words) that describes the process that you used to design, simulate, and build your Date of
Birth circuit. This conclusion must include all of your design work (i.e., truth table, K-Maps,
etc), preliminary and final schematics, parts list, and a digital photograph of your final circuit.
The documentation should be complete enough that another student with the same
knowledge of digital electronics could reproduce your design without any additional
assistance.
2014 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Digital Electronics Problem 2.4.1 Combinational Logic Student Design: Date of Birth Page 2

 2014 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Digital Electronics Problem 2.4.1 Combinational Logic Student Design: Date of Birth Page 3

 2014 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Digital Electronics Problem 2.4.1 Combinational Logic Student Design: Date of Birth Page 4