A Boolean Logic-Based Circuit for Counterfeit Currency Detection: Preliminary Design and Optimization

The escalating prevalence of counterfeit banknotes presents a critical threat to financial integrity, underscoring the urgent need for accurate, low-cost, and widely accessible verification mechanisms. This study introduces a foundational design for a logic-based circuit system aimed at enabling reliable differentiation between authentic and counterfeit currency. The approach begins by identifying four essential security features, modeled as binary inputs ($A, B, C, D$), followed by the construction of a comprehensive truth table to determine the output condition (R), denoting authenticity. Boolean algebra is employed to derive a Sum-of-Products (SOP) expression, which is then optimized using Karnaugh Map (K-Map) techniques. This systematic simplification reduces the circuit’s complexity, decreasing the required logic gate components from over 17 integrated circuits (IC) to just three ICs. Such optimization significantly enhances system reliability, lowers production costs, and reduces the risk of operational errors. The resulting minimalist architecture demonstrates strong potential for integration into both dedicated hardware devices and mobile application platforms. This preliminary design provides a scalable, accessible, and cost-effective framework for currency authentication, leveraging core principles of digital logic to support efforts in mitigating counterfeit circulation and strengthening public trust in cash-based transactions.