Lecture 7

Automata and Languages
Finite Automata with Output

Recap
• Motivation for FA => to design a mathematical model for a computer:

• Input string => represents the program and input data
• Reading the letters from the string => executing instructions (it changes the
state of the machine i.e. Memory contents, control section of processor etc..)
• What about output?
• If our FA's and TG's represent actual physical machines, then we
should also consider FA with output capabilities, not just as language
acceptors or recognizers.
Topics
• Moore Machines
• Mealy Machines
• An application
A bit of History...
• Moore Machines and Mealy Machines are two models for FA's with
output.
• Mealy Machines were created by G. H. Mealy in 1955 while Moore
Machines were created (independently) by E. F. Moore in 1956.
• The original purpose of the inventors was to design a mathematical
model for sequential circuits.
Moore Machines - Definition
• A Moore Machine consists of:

• A finite set of states q0, q1, q2… where q0 is designated the start state
• An alphabet of input letters  = {a, b, c…}
• An alphabet of output characters  = {x, y, z…}
• A transition table that shows for each state and each
input letter what state is reached next.
• An output table that shows what character from  is printed by each state
that is entered
An example of a Moore Machine
• Input alphabet  = {a, b}

• Output alphabet  = {0,1}
• Names of states: q0, q1, q2, q3, (q0 = start state)
An example of a Moore Machine (cont.)
Old state New state Output

After input a After input b (Printed in
old state)
- qo q1 q3 1
q1 q3 q1 0
q2 q0 q3 0
q3 q3 q2 1
Transition diagram of Moore Machine
a b
q0/1 q1/0
b a
a
b
q2/0 q3/1 a
b
Trace the operation of this machine on the input string
abab.
A Moore string counter for ‘aab’…
b a
a b
q0/0 q1/0 q2/0 q3/1
b
a
b
This moore machine will count exactly how many times the
substring aab occurs in a long input string. Trace the
operation of this machine on the string aaababbaabb.
Mealy Machines - Definition
A Mealy machine consists of:

• A finite set of states q0, q1, q2… where q0 is designated the start state
• An alphabet of input letters  = {a, b, c…}
• An alphabet of output characters  = {x, y, z…}
• A transition diagram where each edge is labelled with a compound
symbol i/o where i is an input letter and o is and output character.
Every state must have one edge for each possible input letter.
An example Mealy machine
a/0 q1 b/1
a/1
q0 q2
b/0 a/0
b/1
q3
b/1
a/1
Some useful Mealy machines
• 1’s complement (of a binary number)

• A binary increment machine
Increment Mealy machine
0/0, 1/1
no
carry
0/1
0/1
start
owe
carry
1/0 1/0
Trace the operation of this Mealy machine on the binary representation
of decimal 11.
How can we build a subtracting machine from the two example Mealys?
An Application – using a Mealy machine to
represent a sequential circuit
• Refresher on Logic gates:
• NAND => not and
• DELAY => D-flip flop delays the transmission of the signal along the wire by one step
(clock pulse)
Example sequential circuit
input A B output
NAND DELAY OR
OR
State representation of circuit
A B
q0 0 0
q1 0 1
q2 1 0
q3 1 1
Circuit Logic
• The state of the circuit changes whenever a 1 or 0 is input, based on

the logic of its gates as follows
new B = old A
new A = (input) NAND (old A OR old B)
output = (input) OR (old B)
• At various discrete pulses of a time clock input is received, the state
changes and output is generated.
Transition table
Old state After input 0 After input 1
new state output new state output
q0 q2 0 q2 1
q1 q2 1 q0 1
q2 q3 0 q1 1
q3 q3 1 q1 1
Transition Diagram
1/1 q0 0/0, 1/1

0/1
q2
q1
1/1
1/1 0/0
q3
0/1
Summary
• Finite automata with output

• Moore machines output at state
• Mealy machines output at edges
• Moore and Mealy machines are equivalent in expressive power
• Moore and Mealy machines have useful application such as
representation of sequential circuits
Another Application of FA with output – A
bilingual dictionary
• Exploits the idea of relations (set theory)

• e.g. {“cat”,”chat”}, {“girl”,”fille”}, {“table”,”table”},
{“house”,”maison”}....
• Such an FA would both accept L1 and output the corresponding
L2where {L1,L2}.
• This machine is both a language acceptor (recognizer) but has output
capabilities!
Exercises
• Each of the following is a moore machine with input alphabet  = {a,

b} and output alphabet  = {0, 1}. Draw the corresponding machines
given the following transition and output tables:
Exercises
Construct the transition table for each of the two Mealy
machines shown below:
a/0 b/0 a/0 a/0

b/1
q0 q1 q2 q3
a/1
b/0 b/1

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Automata and Languages

Finite Automata with Output

• Motivation for FA => to design a mathematical model for a computer:

• A Moore Machine consists of:

• Input alphabet  = {a, b}

Old state New state Output

A Mealy machine consists of:

• 1’s complement (of a binary number)

• Refresher on Logic gates:

• NAND => not and

• The state of the circuit changes whenever a 1 or 0 is input, based on

Old state After input 0 After input 1

new state output new state output

1/1 q0 0/0, 1/1

• Finite automata with output

• Exploits the idea of relations (set theory)

• Each of the following is a moore machine with input alphabet  = {a,

a/0 b/0 a/0 a/0

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