Two ternary, an ordinary ternary (0T) and a binary balanced ternary (BT), number representations to be used for optical computing are discussed. An unsigned OT number is represented by a string of symbols (0,1,2), while for the BT, the three logic symbols take on the set (-1,0,+1). The BT symbols can represent a signed number. Using a particular binary encoding method, the three ternary symbols are converted to a pair of binary symbols. The binary coded ternary (BCT) representation has two advantages. First, it allows the use of the well-developed binary optical components. Second, it reduces the number of input-output chan-nels and thus is able to conserve the optical space-bandwidth product. As an example for arithmetic operations, BCT full addition algorithms are given. As examples for multiple-valued logic computing, BCT Post, Webb, and residue logic elements are discussed. Optical implementations of various BCT arithmetic and logic operations are described. Using the two-port Sagnac Interferametric switches (TPSIS), a number of implementation examples are presented.

Date Published: 8 January 1987
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 0700, 1986 Intl Optical Computing Conf, (8 January 1987); doi: 10.1117/12.936976

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0700:
1986 Intl Optical Computing Conf
Asher A. Friesem; Emanuel Marom; Joseph Shamir, Editor(s)