AUTOMATIC SYNTHESIS OF FAST, COMPACT SELF-TIMED STATE MACHINES
Date
1992-12-01
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Abstract
An automated synthesis tool, called the "Most
Excellent Asynchronous Tool", or MEAT is presented. This tool has
been used to specify and synthesize asynchronous finite state machines
(AFSMs) for a fully self-timed 300,000 transistor communication
co-processor called the Post Office. The specification is done with
stylized state diagrams with a restricted form of multiple input
change constraints called burst-mode. This is a very compact and
intuitive means to specify communication, concurrency, and
synchronization necessary for control structures. Of primary
importance to this project was the efficiency and simplicity of the
implementation. The tool generates from the state description
self-timed CMOS implementations with outstanding performance and
compactness. When burst-mode is coupled with a timing inequality, the
circuits can be verified as hazard free.
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Computer Science