.TH qm 1 "V1.0  12/15/2002" Version "V1.0"
.SH NAME
qm - Quine McClusky digital circuit minimization

.SH SYNOPSIS
.B qm
[-n number_of_variables] [-e] [-d] [-t] [-m] [-i input_filename]
[-h ] [-o output_filename]

.SH DESCRIPTION
.PP
\fBqm\fP implements the Quine McClusky digital circuit minimization
algorithm. Input may be a set of minterms, a truth table, or a logic
equation. Logic equations may be either VHDL equations or Verilog
behavioral equations.

The output is the cover as prime implicants, and the VHDL and Verilog
equations.

.SH OPTIONS
.l
\fBqm\fP accepts the following options:
.TP 8
.B -n \fBnumber_of_variables\fP
This is a required option. The number of variables must agree with
the data in the input file. The number of variables must be in the
range 2 through 24.

.TP 8
.B -m
This flag specifies that the input file contains the minterms of
the boolean function to be minimized. Each line of the file is
one minterm. Only the digits 0 and 1 are allowed. Digits must be
separated by whitespace.

.TP 8
.B -t
This flag specifies that the input file contains a truth table of
the boolean function to be minimized. Each line of the file is
one row of the truth table. Only the digits 0 and 1 are allowed
for the input and output. Digits must be separated by whitespace.
Any initial lines that do not start with 0 or 1 are ignored.
Any characters other than 0 or 1 are ignored. Each row must have
the input of length number_of_variables, and one output digit.

.TP 8
.B -e
This flag specifies that the input file contains an equation of
the boolean function to be minimized. The equation is free format and
may be on multiple lines. Either VHDL format equations or Verilog
behavioral equations may be used. There is presently a restriction
that the variable names must be a, b, c, ... ,x .
The equation must start  something <= , something :=  or something = .
Operators may be \fBand\fP, \fBor\fP, \fBnot\fP, \fB&\fP, \fB|\fP or
\fB~\fP .

.TP 8
.B -i \fBinput_file_name\fP
One of the options  -m, -t or -e must be specified.
This option is required and must give the file name of
the input file. 

.TP 8
.B -o \fBoutput_file_name\fP
This option is optional to give the file name of
the output file for the equations. Default is stdout. 

.TP 8
.B -d
This option turns on debug print. Among other outputs is the table
at each step of the Quine McClusky minimization.

.TP 8
.B -h
This option prints the available options.


.SH EXAMPLES 
To compile and build qm, use the following commands:

  bison calc_eqn.y
  gcc -o qm quine_mcclusky.c calc_eqn.tab.c -lm

To run the three types of input, use the following commands:

  qm -n 4 -m -i minterm4.dat > minterm4.out

  qm -n 4 -t -i tt4.dat > tt4.out
 
  qm -n 4 -e -i eqn4.dat > eqn4.out


.SH "AUTHOR"
.nf
Jon Squire (squire@umbc.edu)


.SH COPYRIGHT
.nf
Copyright \(co  2002 Jon Squire

The source code for this program may be freely redistributed
according to the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.0