TOPI-A Special-Purpose Computer for Boolean Analysis and Synthesis

TOPI is a special-purpose computer for the synthesis and analysis of Boolean functions. The algorithms executed by TOPI have been developed specifically for this computer and are an evolution of the iterative consensus method. They allow the determination and classification of the prime implicants of a given Boolean function, as well as the determination of a number of irredundant normal coverings. The computer capabilities are limited to single-output functions of a maximum of 15 variables, or to n-output functions of a maximum of 15-n variables. TOPI is a microprogrammed computer whose design has been carried out by means of a method converting a formal description of the computer into logical diagrams by the use of systematic procedures. Some preliminary evaluations of the efficiency of the algorithms used by TOPI are reported in this paper. It has been verified that they allow low execution times and a limited memory occupancy. It has also been verified that the TOPI computer is about 100 times faster than an IBM 7090 performing the same algorithms.