To obtain greater operand widths in practice, small adders (for example, 2-bit adders) can be paralleled or cascaded to build wider adders (such as 4-bit, 8-bit, or 16-bit). Evaluate this statement.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Correct

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Digital designers routinely scale arithmetic width by composing small building blocks. Ripple-carry, carry-lookahead, and other schemes all rely on tiling smaller adder slices into larger structures.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Each 2-bit adder provides SUM[1:0] and a carry-out.
  • Blocks can be connected with carry chaining.
  • Goal is to implement larger word sizes.


Concept / Approach:
Connect the carry-out of a less significant slice to the carry-in of the next slice. This cascading produces a ripple-carry adder. For improved speed, carry-lookahead or carry-select techniques compute carries faster, but the modular composition principle remains the same.


Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Partition the N-bit addition into groups of 2 bits.2) Instantiate 2-bit adders for each group.3) Chain carry-out of group i to carry-in of group i+1.4) Collect all sum outputs to form the N-bit result.


Verification / Alternative check:
Standard texts show 1-bit full adders cascaded into 4/8/16-bit adders; using 2-bit slices is a straightforward variation.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Incorrect” denies common practice. “Only for subtractors” is false—subtraction is addition of two’s-complement. “Carries forced to 0” would break correctness beyond the least-significant slice.


Common Pitfalls:
Ignoring carry propagation delay; not considering acceleration techniques for high-speed designs.


Final Answer:
Correct

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