
255Code Converters, Comparators and Other Logic Processing Circuits
A MSF or SF flag indicates minus sign when A < B. However, some times two flags, ZF and
SF, suffice to exhibit at the outputs the four conditions, which are possible after comparison,
(the imaginary subtraction). These four conditions are zero, nonzero, positive and negative.
Point to Remember
We get a one-bit result of certain arithmetic or logic operation or comparison operation.
The result indicates by a bit, which is called flag. Carry, zero, sign and parity flags are the
examples of the one-bit results. Comparison is a hypothetical subtraction.
FIGURE 11.2 Block diagram of a four-bit ...