What Is OR Gate?

An OR gate is...what is that even supposed to mean? A truth table, my friend, is a special kind of logic gate that takes in two or more input signals and generates an output signal based on whether all of the input signals are true (i.e., have a value of 1). That signal's output will be false (i.e., have a value of 0) only if all of the inputs are false. You'd probably be stoked if your boss told you that you could leave work early on a sunny day or a Friday. However, you might need more time if you require both a sunny day and a Friday. And now we know what you're thinking: "However, what does that even imply? " To put your mind at ease, We've got your back. Let's dissect that a bit further. Inputs to an OR gate can be either "logic high" (a value of 1) or "logic low" (a value of 0) on each of the two or more terminals (a value of 0). A true signal is present when an input terminal is in a logic high state. To be in a logic-low state indicates that the signal is invalid. An OR gate "checks" each signal from two or more sources to determine whether it is true or false. The output of the OR gate will be true if and only if any of the input signals are true (i.e., in a logic high state) (in logic-high state). As expected, the OR gate will produce a false result if all of its inputs are in a logical low state (in a logic low state). The question "Well, when would I use an OR gate?" may be on your mind. Fantastic inquiry! There are few electronic applications where OR gates are not indispensable, and this is especially true of digital circuits. You could use an OR gate to set off an alarm if either of two inputs checks out (say, in a security system that needs to detect both motion and sound). The best part is that OR gates are just the beginning! In addition to XOR gates, other common logic gates include AND gates (which only generate output if both inputs are true) and NOT gates (which invert the input signal) (which produce an output if exactly one of the input signals is true). Like discovering a new logical universe! That wraps up the wild and wonderful world of OR gates for you regular folks. Remember that they are only one tool in the wide world of electronics, but they can come in handy when you need to make sure of at least one thing. We appreciate your joining us on this journey.