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Clockless Logic

Clockless Logic. Montek Singh Thu, Jan 13, 2004. Preliminaries. How is data represented in an asynchronous system? How is information exchanged?: control signaling (handshake styles). Data Encoding: “Bundled Data”. matched delay. request. done. bit 1. bit 1. done indicates

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Clockless Logic

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  1. Clockless Logic Montek Singh Thu, Jan 13, 2004

  2. Preliminaries How is data represented in an asynchronous system? How is information exchanged?: control signaling (handshake styles)

  3. Data Encoding: “Bundled Data” matched delay request done bit 1 bit 1 done indicates valid data bit n bit m functionblock Single-rail “Bundled Datapath”: simplest approach • widely used Features: • datapath: 1 wire per bit (e.g. standard sync blocks) • matched delay: produces delayed “done” signal • worst-case delay: longer than slowest path • Practical style: can reuse sync components; small area • Fixed (worst-case) completion time

  4. Bundled Data: Completion Sensing request done MUX bank of delays delayselector Delay Matching: • either single worst-case delay • or, fine-grain delay Speculative completion: • choose delay “on the fly” • start with shortest delay; increase as needed

  5. Data Encoding: Dual-Rail bit 1 bit 1 bit n bit m Dual-rail: uses 2 wires per data bit Each Dual-Rail Pair: provides both data value and validity • provides robust data-dependent completion • needs completion detectors

  6. Dual-Rail: Completion Sensing bit0 bitn bit1 OR OR OR Done C Dual-Rail Completion Detector: • combines dual-rail signals • indicates when all bits are valid (or reset) C-element: • if all inputs=1, output  1 • if all inputs=0, output  0 • else, maintain output value • OR together 2 rails per bit • Merge results using a Müller “C-element”

  7. Handshaking Styles: 4-phase get ready for next event start event Request ready for next event event done Acknowledge 4-Phase: requires 4 events per handshake • “Level-sensitive” simpler logic implementation • Overhead of “return-to-zero” (RTZ or resetting) • extra events which do no useful computation

  8. Handshaking Styles: 2-phase start next event start event Request next event done event done Acknowledge 2-Phase: requires 2 events per handshake • a.k.a. transition signaling • Elegant: no return-to-zero • Slower logic implementation: • logic primitives are inherently level-sensitive, not event-based (at least in CMOS)

  9. Handshaking Styles: Pulse Mode Pulse Mode: combines benefits of 2-phase and 4-phase • use pulses to represent events start next event start event Request next event done event done Acknowledge • No return-to-zero (like 2-phase) • Level-based implementation (like 4-phase) • Need a timing constraint on pulse with

  10. Handshaking Styles: Single-Track req req Request req + ack Acknowledge ack ack Single-Track: combines req and ack onto single wire! • one wire used for bidirectional communication • sender raises, receiver lowers • Efficient protocol: no return-to-zero, level-based • Need aggressive low-level design techniques • much effort to ensure reliability

  11. Handshaking + Data Representation bit 1 bit m ack Several combinations possible: • dual-rail 4-phase, single-rail 4-phase, dual-rail 2-phase, and single-rail 2-phase Example: dual-rail 4-phase • dual-rail data: functions as animplicit “request” • 4-phase cycle: between acknowledgeand implicit request A B

  12. Other Data Representation Styles data phase • Level-Encoded Dual-Rail (LEDR) • 2 wires per bit: “data” and “phase” • exactly one wire per bit changes value • if new value is different, “data” wire changes value • else “phase” wire change value • M-of-N Codes • N wires used for a data word • M wires (M <= N) change value • Values of N and M: have impact on… • information transmitted, power consumed and logic complexity • Knuth codes, Huffman codes, …

  13. Which to use? Depends on several performance parameters: • speed • single-rail vs. dual-rail • single-rail may be faster (if designed aggressively) • dual-rail may be faster (if completion times vary widely) • 2-phase vs. 4-phase • 2-phase may be faster (if logic overhead is small) • 4-phase may be faster (if overhead of return-to-zero is small) • power consumption • 2-phase typically has fewer gate transitions ( lower power) • amount of logic used (#gates/wires/pins  chip area) • single-rail needs fewer gates/wires/pins • design and verification effort • dual-rail, 1-of-N, M-of-N, Knuth codes…: • delay-insensitive: robust in the presence of arbitrary delays • single-rail: requires greater timing verification effort

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