Synchronous circuit synthesis using an asynchronous specification

Abstract

A method for specifying and synthesizing a synchronous digital circuit by first accepting a specification of an asynchronous system in which stored values are updated according to a set of state transition rules. For instance, the state transition rules are specified as a Term Rewriting System (TRS) in which each rule specifies a number of allowable state transitions, and includes a logical precondition on the stored values and a functional specification of the stored values after a state transition in terms of the stored values prior to the state transition. The specification of the asynchronous circuit is converted into a specification of a synchronous circuit in which a number of state transitions can occur during each clock period. The method includes identifying sets of state transitions, for example by identifying sets of TRS rules, that can occur during a single clocking period and forming the specification of the synchronous circuit to allow any of the state transitions in a single set to occur during any particular clocking period.

1 . A method for making a synchronous digital integrated circuit according to a specification of an asynchronous digital system comprising: 
 accepting the specification of the asynchronous digital system, including accepting specifications of a plurality of data elements whose values define a state of said system and accepting specifications of a plurality of state transition rules that characterize non-deterministic operation of said system and wherein application of each of the state transition rules atomically updates values of the data elements according to the specification of said state transition rule;    processing the specification of said asynchronous system to form a specification of a synchronous digital system such that state transitions of the synchronous system each correspond to application of one or more state transition rules of the asynchronous system;    processing the specification of the synchronous digital system to form a specification of the synchronous digital integrated circuit; and    fabricating the digital integrated circuit according to said specification for the synchronous digital integrated circuit, whereby said integrated circuit operates according to the specification of the asynchronous digital system.    
   
   
       2 - 25 . (canceled)