by which he meant that there are numerous ways of understanding what's been said.

The 7400 gates is called a NAND. That's an adequate description, in that NAND is defined as NOT AND, which implies that the high output corresponding with two high inputs is inverted, producing a low. What's meant by a negative-logic OR can be subject of some debate.

An OR, presented with two LOW inputs, produces a LOW output.

An AND, presented with a single LOW input, produces a LOW output.

A NOR, presented with a single HIGH input, produces a LOW output.

Doesn't what you call it depend as much on how you use it as on what the mfg called it?

A 74151 is called a multiplexer, by its mfg. In many applications, though, it's called a data-selector.

A 7442 is called a BCD-to-decimal decoder, yet often is used as a 3-line to 8-line decoder. Sometimes it's used as a data-distributor.

Maybe it would make for clearer schematics if we used symbols that represented the function we want, and labels that reflect the description in the databook. However, isn't it just as valid to give it a name that corresponds to its function? Maybe the problem is that the names are too often omitted from the diagram. I know I don't put them in.

It's important, of course, that one includes those "little DOT" symbols indicating an active-low signal.

The author of this article seems to believe that the "DOT" belongs at the input on an inverting buffer. Now THAT is subject to debate. I guess he believes it's important to show that one is inverting the input. I always thought of it as inverting the output, not that it makes a difference. There probably also ought to be an indication of how muc delay is represented by a symbol. I've never seen that in practice.

RE