Which logic gate output is HIGH only when an odd number of inputs are HIGH?

The logic gate that produces a HIGH output only when an odd number of its inputs are HIGH is the XOR gate, which stands for exclusive OR. The fundamental operation of the XOR gate is that it outputs a HIGH state when it has an odd number of inputs in a HIGH state.

For example, consider the XOR gate with two inputs:

• It outputs HIGH when one input is HIGH (1) and the other is LOW (0).

• If both inputs are HIGH, the output is LOW, as the total number of HIGH inputs is even.

• If both inputs are LOW, the output is also LOW, contributing to the even tally.

This behavior extends to XOR gates with more than two inputs where the output will always be HIGH if the total count of HIGH inputs is odd, confirming its characteristic. This unique functionality makes the XOR gate particularly useful in applications that require parity checking or arithmetic operations where discrepancy in bit states is relevant.