A modified OR gate that outputs high when only one input is high is commonly referred to as what?

The gate that outputs high when only one of its inputs is high is known as an XOR (exclusive OR) gate. The XOR gate operates under the principle of returning a true (or high) output when the number of true inputs is odd, typically one. Therefore, in the case of two inputs, it will output high when one input is high and the other is low. It is essential to differentiate this functionality from other gate types.

For instance, an AND gate requires both inputs to be high to produce a high output, while a NAND gate produces a low output only when both inputs are high, making them unsuitable for the described behavior. Similarly, a NOR gate outputs high only when both inputs are low, which also does not align with the requirement of producing a high output when exactly one input is high. Understanding the unique operation of an XOR gate is vital in digital logic design and applications, as it plays a crucial role in circuits where conditions depend on the exclusivity of inputs.