A CIRCUIT FOR COORDINATING THE TIMING OF OPERATIONS OF ASYNCHRONOUSLY OPERATING SUB-CIRCUITS

摘要

In an asynchronous circuit (i.e. a circuit without a clock coupled to all parts of the circuit) synchronization is provided by a network of synchronization circuits. Handshake connections exist between pairs of synchronization circuits. These connections comprise a single conductor on which a first synchronization circuit realizes a first potential transition which serves as an attention signal for a second synchronization circuit. The second synchronization circuit applies the attention signal to other synchronization circuits by forming similar attention signals on one or more further conductors. After acknowledgement of said attention signals, the synchronization circuit acknowledges the original attention signal by returning the potential on the conductor to its level prior to the original attention signal.