NAND GATE
Outputs ON unless ALL inputs are ON. The inverse of an AND gate. NAND is functionally complete, any logic circuit can be built using only NAND gates.
Truth Table
| Input A | Input B | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (OFF) | 0 (OFF) | 1 (ON) |
| 0 (OFF) | 1 (ON) | 1 (ON) |
| 1 (ON) | 0 (OFF) | 1 (ON) |
| 1 (ON) | 1 (ON) | 0 (OFF) |
Reading the NAND Gate truth table
The NAND Gate table has 4 rows for 2 inputs, and 3 of them come out on.
Because only one row of the NAND Gate table reads off, that off state is what circuits usually watch for.
Every one of the 4 rows of a NAND Gate is the opposite of the AND Gate, so one redstone torch on the output turns either into the other.
Closest to the NAND Gate sits the XOR Gate (Exclusive OR), which differs on a single row of the table, so a wiring mistake between them is easy to make and easy to miss.
How far the other gates sit from NAND Gate
What NAND Gate costs in materials
Adding up the recipes behind those parts, one NAND Gate costs 4 crafting ingredients in total: 2 Redstone and 2 Stick.
The NAND Gate leans on Redstone Torch, Redstone Dust and Redstone Comparator, and every one of them is covered in full on its own component page.
| Part of NAND Gate | Needed per NAND Gate | What one costs to craft |
|---|---|---|
 Redstone Torch | 2 | 1 Redstone, 1 Stick |
 Redstone Comparator | as many as the build needs | 3 Redstone Torch, 3 Stone, 1 Quartz |
Everything a NAND Gate adds up to
2 Redstone
2 Stick
NAND Gate costs are worked out from the crafting recipes in Java Edition 26.2.
Overview: what the NAND Gate is and does
Outputs ON unless ALL inputs are ON. The inverse of an AND gate. NAND is functionally complete, any logic circuit can be built using only NAND gates.
In plain terms, the output is on in every case except when both inputs are on. NAND is functionally complete: any logic circuit whatsoever can be built from NAND gates alone, which makes it a favourite primitive for compact redstone computers.
This page describes the NAND Gate as it behaves in Java Edition 26.2; the truth table and timings below match vanilla redstone exactly.
Reading the NAND Gate: inputs, output and timing
Across its four input combinations the output is on in 3 cases, A off with B off, A off with B on, and A on with B off, and off in the remaining 1.
Expressed as boolean algebra that is output = NOT (A AND B).
A torch-based NAND adds roughly 2 redstone ticks through its inverter-and-merge stages.
Because redstone signals are just on or off, "on" here means a powered line (signal 1-15) and "off" means an unpowered line (signal 0); the NAND Gate cares only about presence or absence of power, not its exact strength.
How to build the NAND Gate
- 1Place two solid blocks side by side.
- 2Run input A into the first block and place a torch on top (NOT A).
- 3Run input B into the second block and place a torch on top (NOT B).
- 4Merge the two torch outputs with redstone dust (OR of NOT A and NOT B).
- 5By De Morgan's Law: NOT(A) OR NOT(B) = NOT(A AND B) = NAND.
- 6The NAND Gate is only finished when all 4 rows of its table hold true: setting the inputs to OFF and OFF is the first one to try, and the output should read ON when you do.
What the NAND Gate is used for
- ▸NAND is functionally complete: any logic circuit whatsoever can be built from NAND gates alone, which makes it a favourite primitive for compact redstone computers.
- ▸Torch-based NAND (2 torches + OR merge), a practical build choice for this gate.
- ▸AND gate with trailing NOT gate, a practical build choice for this gate.
- ▸Comparator-based NAND (subtract mode inverted), a practical build choice for this gate.
Tips & common mistakes
- !If the NAND Gate reads even one row of its truth table wrong, go looking for two dust lines touching somewhere behind it before you start doubting the logic of the gate itself.
- !Remember the propagation cost: A torch-based NAND adds roughly 2 redstone ticks through its inverter-and-merge stages. If you chain several gates, those ticks add up and can desynchronise a fast circuit.
- !Debug from the smallest piece upwards. The NAND Gate has only 4 states to check, so proving that it is right takes less than a minute of your time.
Questions people ask about the NAND Gate
What does a NAND Gate do in Minecraft?
A NAND Gate outputs a signal where the output is on in every case except when both inputs are on. In boolean terms, output = NOT (A AND B).
What is the truth table of a NAND Gate?
Across its four input combinations the output is on in 3 cases, A off with B off, A off with B on, and A on with B off, and off in the remaining 1. The boolean expression is output = NOT (A AND B).
How do you build a NAND Gate with redstone?
Place two solid blocks side by side. Run input A into the first block and place a torch on top (NOT A). Common variants include torch-based NAND (2 torches + OR merge) and AND gate with trailing NOT gate.
How much delay does a NAND Gate add?
A torch-based NAND adds roughly 2 redstone ticks through its inverter-and-merge stages. That matters most in clocks and adders where every redstone tick counts.
Why is the NAND gate called functionally complete?
A gate is functionally complete if every other logic function can be built from copies of it alone. NAND qualifies: you can make NOT, AND, OR and every other gate purely from NAND gates, which is why processors are often described in terms of NAND counts.
