Welcome to n-State Switching: the next step in massive, ultra high speed data processing and data storage

There is a need for faster, more powerful processing capabilities at lower power consumption, less inteconnect, and lower clock rates with extremely large storage and transmission capacity.

N-state switching is the processing of n-state symbols with n > 2

N-state or multi-state switching provides the transformation of states from inputs to outputs wherein an input and output can assume more than 2 states.  When n = 2 we usually speak of binary switching.  The term logic is often used.  However logic is the theoretical description of switching.  Switching is intended to be the actual physical process which implements the logic.

A 2-input/single output multi-state switch has a higher throughput and performance than a 2-input/single output binary switch. This is an aspect of multi-state switching that is not obvious.

There are 16 binary switching functions. There are almost 4 billion possible 4-state switching functions.  A 10 valued logic has more functions than there are atoms in the universe.

The performance improvement of n-state switches increases truly exponentially over binary switches. This is an awesome power to be unlocked in switching and computer applications.

What about the use of n-valued symbols?

Radix-n arithmetic, which has commonly been associated with multi-valued logic and with multi-state switching, has this underwhelming effect of performance improvement with the logarithm of n.  Working with radix-8 or 8-valued numbers instead of with bits only provides an improvement in number of digits with a factor 3 over binary numbers.  Many people find that an “okay” improvement.  Nice, but not revolutionary and perhaps not worth all the trouble.

N-state switching improvements are of a different order all together.  Clock speeds can go down, so does overall component count and number of interconnection between switches. On top of that functionality can be achieved that is impossible to realize in binary logic.

Ternarylogic LLC

We believe our portfolio to offer a significant advantage over existing technology.  We have taken a new look at switching technology and in particular at n-state switching. As a consequence we have developed a series of totally new solutions to problems in coding, storage and switching technology.  We have also provided novel solutions to existing binary problems.

We are fairly certain that the approach we have taken is novel to you and to your company.  Our inventions are also easy to understand, up to the point where you will be wondering why nobody has done this before.

 We believe the technology offered by Ternarylogic to be novel and pioneering in nature, which will be protected by patents with broad claims. 

The Ternarylogic portfolio is described in patents and patent applications, which are currently well over 30 in number.  These are legal disclosures, not popularized articles.  They fully disclose and enable the best mode of our inventions to enable one of ordinary skills in the art.   Feel free to review and download the information provided here.  Contact us if you are interested in using our inventions.

Just Scratching the Surface

Multi-state switching has turned out to be a method that can improve almost every aspect of digital signal processing.  Currently we have developed over 30 inventions.  One might assume that after such a number of inventions the discovery of new applications would slow down.  The opposite is true.  We are just scratching the surface of improving almost every aspect of logic based switching.  By investigating known bottlenecks in signal processing new inventions become almost immediately apparent.  Developing multi-state switching is like the discovery of binary logic all over again.

Access to Our Portfolio

So welcome to Ternarylogic.com.  This website comprises a wealth of information, white papers and references to patents and patent applications. Feel free to download any of the documents.  Please be aware that none of the inventions disclosed is in the public domain. Contact us if you wish to apply any of our inventions.

Help with the Concepts

The concepts of n-state switching and its relation with binary logic or switching may be somewhat confusing. Unfortunately, a search on the related concepts of Multiple Valued Logic (MVL) on the web will not be of great help. MVL is a highly theoretical discipline, intended (it seems) to scare people away.

In fact n-state switching is very simple and requires no previous knowledge of mathematical logic or other mathematical theories. Dr. Gerry Blaauw, co-architect of the IBM System/360 with Fred Brooks and Gene Amdahl, and professor of computer design used to tell his students that no advanced math was required to follow his lectures.

This approach applies as much to n-state switching as it does to binary switching. A web site which explains the basic concepts in n-state switching is provided here. Or go to www.nstatelogic.com. That is all you need to understand n-state switching.

If you want to see an example of a 3-valued switching function click here.

A 3-valued ripple adder program can be viewed here.