Redstone · Logic · Java & Bedrock

How to Make Redstone Logic Gates

Logic gates turn redstone inputs into smart outputs. Feed the same two inputs into an ANDan OR and an XOR and each answers differently, and that is how every door, counter and computer gets built.

inputs cycle 00 → 01 → 10 → 11

AND

both on

either on

XOR

differ

AB|ANDORXOR

00|000

01|011

10|011

11|110

The same two inputs (A, B) feed every gate, and each one answers differently. AND needs both, OR needs either, XOR fires when they differ.

The six gates

Each one is a simple rule and a simple build.

NOT

Output is the opposite of the input.

A redstone torch on a block: power the block and the torch turns off.

OR

On if either input is on.

Just merge the two input wires into one output line.

AND

On only if both inputs are on.

Invert both inputs into a shared block, so the output lights only when neither inverter fires.

XOR

On only when the inputs differ.

The classic two-torch plus comparator design; the gate behind toggles and adders.

NAND

Off only when both inputs are on.

An AND gate followed by a NOT; handy because any circuit can be built from NANDs.

NOR

On only when both inputs are off.

An OR gate followed by a NOT; a torch on the merged line does it in one step.

Why they matter

Every redstone build, from a hidden door to a working calculator, is just these gates wired together. Master NOTOR and AND first; once you can invert and combine signals, the rest of redstone is putting those pieces in the right order.

Quick answers

What is a redstone logic gate?

A small circuit that takes one or two inputs and gives an output based on a logic rule: NOT, AND, OR, XOR and so on. Chain them together and you can build doors, counters, even computers.

How do you make a NOT gate?

Place a redstone torch on the side of a block and power that block. The torch turns off while the block is powered, so the output is always the opposite of the input.

How do you make an OR gate?

Run both input wires into the same output line. If either input is powered, the output is powered. It is the simplest gate in the game.

How do you make an AND gate?

An AND gate outputs only when both inputs are on. The common build inverts each input with a torch and combines them so the output fires only when neither torch is lit.

What is an XOR gate used for?

XOR outputs only when the inputs differ. That makes it the heart of toggle circuits and T-flip-flops, where one button flips a light or door on and off, and of redstone adders.

Which logic gate is the hardest to build?

XOR. The other gates are one or two components, but a compact XOR usually needs two redstone torches with a comparator or a pair of repeaters.

Database →

Redstone components

Look up torches, repeaters, comparators and dust.

Guide →

Use a redstone torch

The inverter that the NOT, NAND and NOR gates are built from.

Five gates, and what they cost in blocks

NOT is one torch, and everything grows from it

A redstone torch on a powered block is an inverter, and an AND gate is two inverters feeding a third. Building gates from torches is why redstone rooms are full of them, and why understanding the torch matters more than memorising diagrams.

OR is just dust meeting dust

Two lines joining is already an OR gate with no components at all, which is the cheapest gate in the game and the one people build accidentally. Problems in a circuit are often two signals that were never meant to be an OR sharing one line.

XOR is where the block count jumps

Exclusive OR needs several torches or a pair of comparators, and it is the gate that makes a compact door circuit stop being compact. If a build only needs to know that exactly one input is on, a comparator pair is usually smaller than the torch version.