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Beyond Binary Computing?

Posted by michael on from the base-three-for-fun-and-profit dept.

daksis writes "Non base two computing is nothing new. But it is an idea that, for various reasons, never really caught on. Embedded.com is running an op/ed piece that asks if hardware and software engineers are ready to move to ternary or quaternary logic. A move to multi-valued logic provides more computational capability without the standard increase in die size or transistor count. Is the need to make do with the current fabrication technology enough to drive the move to multi-valued logic? Or will Moore's law continue without the need for doing more with less silica based real estate?"

7 of 412 comments (clear)

  1. Trinary Computing by Liselle · · Score: 5, Informative

    Didn't the Soviets already do this? I don't remember it catching on very splendidly, though I guess than can be chalked up to the limitations of the times.

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    1. Re:Trinary Computing by isomeme · · Score: 5, Informative

      The most effective base being e is not coincidental. Consider that the number of digits required to represent a number is proportional to the log to the base in use of that number. Since e is the base of the natural logarithms, with the property that the slope of the curve e^x equals e^x for all x, the product of a base and the logarithm of any number to that base will always reach a minimum for base = e.

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      When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a skull.
  2. Re:Truth Tables * n? by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Informative

    The whole concept of AND/OR/NAND is a Boolean construct. The gates define the 16 functions that can be expressed by two boolean variables. Ternary or quarternary logic would more basic functions, and different ones, but it would be easy to implement boolean logic as well (like your quarternary example).

    Try reading this for a quick primer.

    It wont happen all at once, its a different paradigm and a definate learning curve, like the difference between imperative, functional and object oriented programming. But it has definate advantages, beyond the Moores law tripe.

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  3. Ternary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    For reference, Slashdot has done two other stories on ternary computing here and here.

  4. Re:Ternary system is the way to go by Andorion · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here's a link to what you're talking about:

    Third Base

    It's a good read, stuff I didn't know until I read your post and looked it up =)

    ~Berj

  5. Re:Truth Tables * n? by Maimun · · Score: 5, Informative

    I have studied little multi-value logic. In m-valued logic: AND is minimum. OR is maximum. XOR is complement modulo m A friend of mine that was doing testing of multi-value circuits (purely theoretical work, of course) said that some phenomena are seen "more clearly" when the base is bigger than 2. HTH.

  6. Base 3 or 4 logic is NOT smaller than base 2. by Eric+Smith · · Score: 5, Informative
    A move to multi-valued logic provides more computational capability without the standard increase in die size or transistor count.
    No, it doesn't. Let's see you design a 16-quat full adder that takes fewer transistors or less die area than an 32-bit full adder.

    Base 3 or higher are a lose for implementing logic. Base 4 is useful in some kinds of memory, and this has been done by Intel since around 1980-81. Intel used a quaternary ROM (two bits per cell) for the microcode store of the 43203 Interface Processor, and (IIRC) for the 8087. More recently this technique has been used in flash memory.