Using Minecraft for Education – Redstone Logic Gates

Background: Minecraft and Games as an Educational Tool

I have incorporated Minecraft into my educational journey many times. In middle school, I took a course where we discussed the engineering design process. I applied every step of this process and documented each step to create a scaled replica of the Eifel Tower in Minecraft. I didn’t have the tools or resources to actually create something, especially coming from a low-income household where I didn’t always have the funds for crafts. Minecraft gave me the playground to create anything I wanted. I of course talked to my instructor for permission prior to starting the project and pitched my idea and how I was going to approach the assignment, so it didn’t seem like I was trying to come up with an excuse to play games in class.

In high school, my AP Physics teacher gave us the freedom to create anything physics related as one of our big projects for the course. I used this as an opportunity to once again incorporate Minecraft into my education and I calculated various gravity values in Minecraft. I say various because some items fall at different rates. I used my skills in content creation to edit the video and present it to my class. Many students were excited to see Minecraft and my work was (mostly) technically correct, so it was approved. I even had some of my friends help me with the project. We built various rollercoasters to be used for the video and it was so fun to work on.

Something I agree with, as well as many of the classmates I’ve had throughout the years, is that education and learning is best when it’s made fun. Having fun demonstrations, tools, assignments, and activities is what makes students want to learn. An example that immediately came into my head is how my World History teacher in high school had us learn how tough an assembly line was like during our unit on the industrial revolution by recreating one. She played an audio of loud machinery, made the room very gloomy and dark, and turned the heater on to recreate the experience of working in a factory. We were tasked to create paper dolls where each person had a specific task, like cut out the parts, coloring, pasting them together, etc. The class was split into two teams and whoever was able to “manufacture” the most dolls won. History was my least favorite subject, still is to this day, but I remember the most about history from her class, even years later. To Ms. Calzada, thank you for making education fun!

Introduction

Logic Gates

Logic gates are a basic concept in programming and technology as a whole. Logic gates take in a number of inputs to produce a single output. For the examples in this demonstration, I used one or two inputs. Logic gates can be put together to create various combinations. Logic gates typically take binary (0 or 1) or Boolean (true or false) inputs. For this example, I explained them in both binary and Boolean inputs, but we simplified it to “ON” or “OFF” as we were using lamps in the game. Logic gates also have diagrams that are used to create visual representations for the gates. This helps to visually see how information flows, instead of looking at lines in code or digital circuits in electronics. We covered five different logic gates: I/O gate, NOT gate, AND gate, OR gate, and XOR gate.

Truth Tables

Truth tables are charts used to map the different combinations of inputs and what their outputs will look like. These tables have a column for every input and output and rows for every possible combination of inputs. You can find examples of the truth tables for each section below.

Input and Output (I/O) Gate

The I/O gate, also commonly referred to as Buffer, is the most simple logic gate. This is a gate takes the input as the output. Below is the truth table for this gate:

InputOutput
OFF OFF
ON ON

Below is the diagram symbol for an I/O gate. The diagram has one input, a triangle is the symbol for the I/O gate, and one output.

NOT Gate

The NOT gate is a logic gate that inverts the input to produce the opposite as the output. Below is the truth table for this gate:

InputOutput
OFF ON
ON OFF

Below is the diagram symbol for a NOT gate. The diagram has one input, a triangle with a circle on the end serves as the symbol for the NOT gate, and one output.

AND Gate

The AND gate is a logic gate with two inputs that produce an “ON” output only when both inputs are “ON.” Below is the truth table for this gate:

Input 1Input 2Output
OFF OFF OFF
ON OFF OFF
OFF ON OFF
ON ON ON

Below is the diagram symbol for an AND gate. The diagram has two inputs, a semicircle with a long body as the symbol for the AND gate, and one output.

OR Gate

The OR gate is a logic gate with two inputs that produce an “ON” output when one or both of the inputs are “ON.” Below is the truth table for this gate:

Input 1Input 2Output
OFF OFF OFF
ON OFF ON
OFF ON ON
ON ON ON

Below is the diagram symbol for an OR gate. The diagram has two inputs, a semicircle with a curved end as the symbol for the OR gate, and one output.

XOR Gate

The XOR gate is a logic gate with two inputs that produce an “ON” output when, and only when, one of the inputs is “ON.” Below is the truth table for this gate:

Input 1Input 2Output
OFF OFF OFF
ON OFF ON
OFF ON ON
ON ON OFF

Below is the diagram symbol for an XOR gate. The diagram has two inputs, a semicircle with a curved end and a curved line before it as the symbol for the XOR gate, and one output.

Setting Up Minecraft

The factory itself has 3 levels. I decided to make each level more difficult than the last, but found that the second level was a little more complex than the third, so I recommend to swap these two levels if you’re planning on using this as a lesson plan. Otherwise, you can keep it as-is and just make a note.

Materials

You will need the following items from Minecraft:

  • Levers
    • These will serve as our inputs. When levers are facing up, they are in an “OFF” position. When they are interacted with and face down, they are in an “ON” position.
  • Redstone Dust
    • Redstone dust is what connects items together to pass a current. We are going to use it to connect the circuits together.
  • Redstone Torches
    • Here, we’re using Redstone Torches to invert signals to create our logic gates. I will explain how to do this later on.
  • Redstone Lamps
    • Redstone Lamps take the output signal from our circuits to either turn on or off. This will give a clearer visual for the output.
  • Any type of Block
    • The blocks will be used to make the logic gates work, as some of the items need to be placed on or above a block to work. Ideally, you want to use the same block for every circuit to make it easier to understand.
    • Additionally, if you’re using the tutorial for the factory building, you’ll notice there’s a lot of glass blocks and trap doors on the 3rd level. You cannot place Redstone dust on these items, so you will need the blocks to create a path where the Redstone can be placed on to avoid any issues. I’ll explain this in depth later.

Level 1: Introduction to Logic Gates

The first floor has a smaller area to the right that I used for our single input gates, the I/O and NOT gates. Since these are single input gates, you don’t need a lot of space to build these. Below are how I built them and what you’ll need to do the same.

I/O Gate Using Redstone

For the I/O gate, you will need:

  • 1 Lever – our input
  • 1 of any block – the logic gate
  • 1 Redstone – the output
  • 1 Redstone Lamp – the visual for our output

This can also be done without the block by simply putting the lever on the lamp or next to the Redstone dust trail. Given that the rest of the circuits use the block, I wanted to keep everything uniform to better follow along. You may also notice while interacting with the circuit that the Redstone turns a bright red color when powered. This is because Redstone dust alone is a power output. We use the output from the Redstone dust to power items, such as pistons and dispensers, but we won’t be using these in any of our examples. Instead, we use the Redstone lamp.

NOT Gate Using Redstone

For the NOT gate, you will need:

  • 1 Lever – the input
  • 1 of any block – the logic gate
  • 1 Redstone Torch – the second part to the logic gate
  • 1 Redstone – the output
  • 1 Redstone Lamp- the visual for our output

As I mentioned earlier, Redstone torches can act as an inverter. This is because Redstone torches are already a power source. When you place a Redstone Torch next to a Redstone Lamp, it will power the lamp on. So when we put a Redstone Torch on a block with a lever on the other side, the block emits an “ON” signal when the lever is “OFF,” giving us a NOT gate. Pretty cool right?

The next section is the large area on the first floor.

AND Gate Using Redstone

For the AND gate, you will need:

  • 2 Levers – the 2 inputs for the gate
  • 3 of any block – the gate
  • 3 Redstone Torches – the second part of the gate
  • 2 Redstone – 1 will be used for the gate, 1 for the output
  • 1 Redstone Lamp – the visual for our output

Going back to the torches being used as inverters, The torch on the top of the block react to the signal given from the levers. When a lever is “ON,” the torch turns off. There is also another torch on the side of the block in between the signals. This torch gets the signal from the Redstone dust between both torches. The Redstone dust takes in the input from both torches. When one or both torches are lit, the Redstone dust remains on. This then inverts the signal from the torch in the middle. To get the output to be “ON,” we need the two torches on the top to be “OFF” (which happens by both inputs being “ON”). This will create an “OFF” signal for the Redstone Dust, keeping the middle torch “ON” and producing an “ON” signal for the output, ultimately lighting up the Redstone Lamp. The way Minecraft does it is a little bit complex, so I just explain it as a whole system instead of each individual item.

OR Gate Using Redstone

For the OR gate, you will need:

  • 2 Levers – the 2 inputs for the gate
  • 1 of any block – the gate
  • 1 Redstone Torch – the second part of the gate
  • 1 Redstone – the output (the image uses two, I just didn’t want the circuit to look too crowded so I made it longer, but 1 is fine)
  • 1 Redstone Lamp – the visual for our output

The Redstone torch inverts the signal from the levers. When one of the levers turns “ON,” the torch turns “OFF” and the Redstone dust takes in the signal from the levers. The reason for this is because the torch is on top of the block, so it can’t reach the dust on the floor. This creates an OR gate since either one of the levers can create the ON output, including both levers.

XOR Gate Using Redstone

For the XOR Gate, you will need:

  • 2 Levers – the 2 inputs for the gate
  • 6 of any block – the gate
  • 7 Redstone Torches – the second and third part of the gate
  • 8 Redstone – 7 used for the gate, 1 used for the output
  • 1 Redstone Lamp – the visual for our output

The XOR gate is the most complicated gate in the group. It starts off setting up an AND Gate. The last group of torches produce an “OFF” output when both of the levers are pulled, because when both torches are on, they invert each other’s signal. When only one is on, it continues. The other stages don’t use this gate because of its complexity, but you can build your own circuit using this gate.

Next, we’re going to do our first exercise with the logic gates. I have combined various logic gates into one circuit. This will let us experiment with different inputs to produce an “ON” output. I’ll cover how to make complex truth tables to map overall inputs by breaking the pieces of the circuit down.

Level 2: Combining Logic Gates

Below is an image of the circuit I have created. I’ll be breaking up the process for this circuit into steps. The third level will be a complete solo exercise with a different circuit. Let’s jump in!

Step 1: Identifying the gates

Our very first step is to identify the different gates on the circuit. Take a look at the building blocks we have in Level 1 and try to see which parts look identical. You should have something that looks like this:

Some of this might be tricky. We’re used to the blocks having a lever attached to them to serve as inputs. Instead, we’re using the outputs from the gates as the inputs for the next gates. If you recall, I mentioned that the Redstone dust at the end of the gate serves as the output. We extend the Redstone dust to reach the next gates in this example. Additionally, one of the OR gates looks funny right? It’s taking the output from an AND gate and another OR gate and meeting in the middle to produce a single output. Before, it would use the signal from both of the levers on the sides. This is doing the same thing, except using the Redstone output.

Now, trying to trace all of the inputs and outputs can get confusing, so the next step is to identify these!

Step 2: Identifying Inputs and Outputs

To start, we’re going to number each lever as inputs. This should look like the following:

As you can see, there are 6 levers providing an input at the start of the circuit. Each logic gate produces one output. Since we have 3 gates at the start, this produces 3 outputs which get turned into inputs for the next layer of gates. We give them a new input name. See below for an example:

Now, you can also think of it as outputs. For example, Input 7 is the Output of Inputs 1 and 2. You can write it as “Output 1+2.” I’m just numbering it to better track them on the Truth Tables later.

Now, we move to the last gate.

Input 10 is the Output of 7 and 8 and Input 11 is the Output of Input 9. Since Input 9 goes into a NOT Gate, it only needs one Input where it’s inverted to produce Input 11.

Finally, we have a single Output which has already been labeled at the start. This is where our Redstone Lamp is. Next, we’re going to create a diagram using the symbols we covered at the beginning.

Step 3: Creating a Diagram

Since we already identified the gates and the inputs, we can create a diagram. Typically, diagrams go from the left to right, but I realized that I took the screenshots backwards (oops), so we’ll be making it from right to left.

As you can see from the diagram above, we have our 6 lever inputs on the right, followed by 3 gates (1 AND and 2 OR gates). These then produce a single output which gets inputted to 2 other gates (1 NOT and 1 OR). These 2 gates produce a single output which goes into a final AND gate to produce the overall output. You can follow the lines in the diagram to see how each input leads to the output. This is a much easier way to trace inputs. The Redstone blocks make it slightly difficult to visualize at times, so it’s best to make a diagram. Next, we’re going to create a truth table based on this diagram.

Step 4: Creating a Truth Table

To start, I recommend marking every possible combination for the lever inputs. The way to calculate how many inputs combinations you have is as follows:

Combinations = 2n

Where “n” is the number of inputs. Because our inputs are binary (having two possible options), we use 2n. If the inputs could only be integers from 0 to 9, we would use 10n.

So, since we have 6 inputs, Combinations = 26=64. That’s a lot right? The good news is that we have tools to do this for us. I used ChatGPT to produce all of the possible inputs for me. I gave it the following prompt:

I have 6 binary inputs. Can you give me a list of all of the combinations, numbered, where the inputs are either “ON” or “OFF”?

I went ahead and made the table for you below:

#Input 1Input 2Input 3Input 4Input 5Input 6
1 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
2 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
4 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON
5 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
6 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
7 OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF
8 OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON
9 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
10 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON
11 OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF
12 OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
13 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF
14 OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON
15 OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
16 OFF OFF ON ON ON ON
17 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF
18 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON
19 OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF
20 OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON
21 OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF
22 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON
23 OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF
24 OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
25 OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF
26 OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON
27 OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF
28 OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
29 OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
30 OFF ON ON ON OFF ON
31 OFF ON ON ON ON OFF
32 OFF ON ON ON ON ON
33 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
34 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
35 ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
36 ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON
37 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
38 ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON
39 ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF
40 ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
41 ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
42 ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON
43 ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF
44 ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
45 ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF
46 ON OFF ON ON OFF ON
47 ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
48 ON OFF ON ON ON ON
49 ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF
50 ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON
51 ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF
52 ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
53 ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF
54 ON ON OFF ON OFF ON
55 ON ON OFF ON ON OFF
56 ON ON OFF ON ON ON
57 ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF
58 ON ON ON OFF OFF ON
59 ON ON ON OFF ON OFF
60 ON ON ON OFF ON ON
61 ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
62 ON ON ON ON OFF ON
63 ON ON ON ON ON OFF
64 ON ON ON ON ON ON

Now that we have all of our combinations, we add a column for each logic gate. Let’s start with the first AND gate. Input 1 AND Input 2 creates an output which we renamed as Input 7. Now, although the table shows all 6 inputs, we’re only going to be using Inputs 1 and 2. Recall that an AND gate produces an “ON” output only when both inputs are ON.

Since the table shows all of the possible combinations, we have some duplicates for the first gate. Because the table has a pattern, just fill the “ON” outputs first and the rest you can auto fill as “OFF”

You should end up with something like this:

#Input 1Input 2Input 3Input 4Input 5Input 6Input 7: 1 AND 2
1 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
2 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
4 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF
5 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
6 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF
7 OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF
8 OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
9 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF
10 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF
11 OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF
12 OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF
13 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF
14 OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF
15 OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
16 OFF OFF ON ON ON ON OFF
17 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
18 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
19 OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
20 OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF
21 OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
22 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF
23 OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF
24 OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
25 OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF
26 OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF
27 OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF
28 OFF ON ON OFF ON ON OFF
29 OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF
30 OFF ON ON ON OFF ON OFF
31 OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
32 OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF
33 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
34 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
35 ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
36 ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF
37 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
38 ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF
39 ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF
40 ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
41 ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF
42 ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF
43 ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF
44 ON OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF
45 ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF
46 ON OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF
47 ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
48 ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF
49 ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
50 ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON
51 ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON
52 ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
53 ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON
54 ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
55 ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON
56 ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON
57 ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON
58 ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
59 ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON
60 ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
61 ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON
62 ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON
63 ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON
64 ON ON ON ON ON ON ON

Now, make another column for the second gate. This is the OR gate for inputs 3 and 4. They produce an output that we renamed as Input 8. Recall that an OR gate produces an “ON” input when any input or both input is “ON.” The only time it produces an “OFF” output is when both inputs are “OFF.”

You should end up with something like this:

#Input 1Input 2Input 3Input 4Input 5Input 6Input 7: 1 AND 2Input 8: 3 OR 4
1 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
2 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
4 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF
5 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON
6 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON
7 OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON
8 OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON
9 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
10 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON
11 OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON
12 OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON
13 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON
14 OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON
15 OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON
16 OFF OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON
17 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
18 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
19 OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
20 OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF
21 OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON
22 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON
23 OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON
24 OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF ON
25 OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
26 OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON
27 OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON
28 OFF ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON
29 OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON
30 OFF ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON
31 OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON
32 OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON
33 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
34 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
35 ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
36 ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF
37 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON
38 ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON
39 ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON
40 ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON
41 ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
42 ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON
43 ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON
44 ON OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON
45 ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON
46 ON OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON
47 ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON
48 ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON
49 ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
50 ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF
51 ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF
52 ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
53 ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON
54 ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
55 ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
56 ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON
57 ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON
58 ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
59 ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
60 ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON
61 ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
62 ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
63 ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON
64 ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON

Now we make another column for the last gate in the first layer. This is an OR gate for inputs 5 and 6. It produces an output which we renamed as Input 9.

You should end up with the following:

#Input 1Input 2Input 3Input 4Input 5Input 6Input 7: 1 AND 2Input 8: 3 OR 4Input 9: 5 OR 6
1 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
2 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON
3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON
4 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON
5 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
6 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
7 OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
8 OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON
9 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
10 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
11 OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON
12 OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
13 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
14 OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
15 OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
16 OFF OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON
17 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
18 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON
19 OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON
20 OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON
21 OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
22 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
23 OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
24 OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON
25 OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
26 OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
27 OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON
28 OFF ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
29 OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
30 OFF ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
31 OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
32 OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON
33 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
34 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON
35 ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON
36 ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON
37 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
38 ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
39 ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
40 ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON
41 ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
42 ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
43 ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON
44 ON OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
45 ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
46 ON OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
47 ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
48 ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON
49 ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
50 ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON
51 ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON
52 ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON
53 ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF
54 ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON ON
55 ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
56 ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON ON
57 ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF
58 ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON ON
59 ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
60 ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON
61 ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF
62 ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON
63 ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
64 ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON

Now, move on to the second layer. There is an OR gate that takes inputs 7 and 8. Input 7 is the output of inputs 1 and 2 and input 8 is the output of inputs 3 and 4. This creates a single output which has been renamed to Input 10.

You should have something that looks like this:

#Input 1Input 2Input 3Input 4Input 5Input 6Input 7: 1 AND 2Input 8: 3 OR 4Input 9: 5 OR 6Input 10: 7 OR 8
1 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
2 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF
3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
4 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF
5 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
6 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
7 OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
8 OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
9 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
10 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
11 OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
12 OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
13 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
14 OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
15 OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
16 OFF OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
17 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
18 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF
19 OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
20 OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF
21 OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
22 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
23 OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
24 OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
25 OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
26 OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
27 OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
28 OFF ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
29 OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
30 OFF ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
31 OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
32 OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
33 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
34 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF
35 ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
36 ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF
37 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
38 ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
39 ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
40 ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
41 ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
42 ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
43 ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
44 ON OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
45 ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON
46 ON OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
47 ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
48 ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON
49 ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON
50 ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
51 ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON
52 ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON
53 ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON
54 ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON
55 ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON
56 ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON ON ON
57 ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON
58 ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON ON ON
59 ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON ON
60 ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON ON
61 ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON
62 ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON
63 ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON
64 ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON

Next we have the NOT gate. This simply inverts Input 9, which is the output of inputs 5 and 6. This creates a single output which is renamed to Input 11.

This looks like the following:

#Input 1Input 2Input 3Input 4Input 5Input 6Input 7: 1 AND 2Input 8: 3 OR 4Input 9: 5 OR 6Input 10: 7 OR 8Input 11: NOT 9
1 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
2 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
4 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
5 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
6 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
7 OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
8 OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
9 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
10 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
11 OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
12 OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
13 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
14 OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
15 OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
16 OFF OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
17 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
18 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
19 OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
20 OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
21 OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
22 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
23 OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
24 OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
25 OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
26 OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
27 OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
28 OFF ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
29 OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
30 OFF ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
31 OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
32 OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
33 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON
34 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
35 ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
36 ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF
37 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
38 ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
39 ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
40 ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
41 ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
42 ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
43 ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
44 ON OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
45 ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON
46 ON OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
47 ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF
48 ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF
49 ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON
50 ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON OFF
51 ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF
52 ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON OFF
53 ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
54 ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF
55 ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF
56 ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON ON ON OFF
57 ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
58 ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF
59 ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF
60 ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON ON OFF
61 ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON
62 ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF
63 ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF
64 ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON OFF

Finally, we print our final output, which is the AND gate for inputs 10 and 11.

You should have a final table that looks like this:

#Input 1Input 2Input 3Input 4Input 5Input 6Input 7: 1 AND 2Input 8: 3 OR 4Input 9: 5 OR 6Input 10: 7 OR 8Input 11: NOT 9Output: 10 AND 11
1 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
2 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
4 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
5 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
6 OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
7 OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
8 OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
9 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
10 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
11 OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
12 OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
13 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
14 OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
15 OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
16 OFF OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
17 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
18 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
19 OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
20 OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
21 OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
22 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
23 OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
24 OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
25 OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
26 OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
27 OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
28 OFF ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
29 OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
30 OFF ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
31 OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
32 OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
33 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF
34 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
35 ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
36 ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF
37 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
38 ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
39 ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
40 ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
41 ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
42 ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
43 ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
44 ON OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
45 ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
46 ON OFF ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
47 ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
48 ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF
49 ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
50 ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF
51 ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF
52 ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF
53 ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
54 ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
55 ON ON OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
56 ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
57 ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
58 ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
59 ON ON ON OFF ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
60 ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
61 ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
62 ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
63 ON ON ON ON ON OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF
64 ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON OFF OFF

Now, if you wanted to you can also create a truth table with only the inputs that produce an “ON” output. This looks like this:

Input 1Input 2Input 3Input 4Input 5Input 6Input 7: 1 AND 2Input 8: 3 OR 4Input 9: 5 OR 6Input 10: 7 OR 8Input 11: NOT 9Output: 10 AND 11
OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
OFF ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
OFF ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
ON OFF ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON ON ON
ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON ON
ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON
ON ON ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF ON ON ON

This table is a lot more compact as there are only 13 combinations that produce an “ON” output.

You now know the full process for creating a diagram and truth table based on a Redstone circuit. Now, you’ll try to do the whole process on your own.

Level 3: Your Turn

Below, I have provided you with a circuit. This circuit contains the following components:

  • 1 OR Gate
  • 2 NOT Gates
  • 3 AND Gates

Your task is to:

  • Identify the Inputs and Output(s)
  • Create a diagram
  • Create a truth table.

Conclusion

Minecraft, and games in general, are an amazing way to teach subjects. Truth tables and logic gates (and discrete mathematics in general) can seem tedious and boring, but once you turn these boring subjects into something fun, students are more likely to stay engaged and interested.

How do you plan on using video games for education? Let me know!

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KiindaLiinda | Gaming and Tech Content Creator | Software QA Engineer at NVIDIA | Co-Founder of Hack the Path

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