Introduction to CMOS VLSI esign Lecture 10: Sequential Circuits avid Harris Harvey Mudd College Spring 2004
Outline q Sequencing q Sequencing Element esign q Max and Min-elay q Clock Skew q Time Borrowing q Two-Phase Clocking Slide 2
Sequencing q Combinational logic output depends on current inputs q Sequential logic output depends on current and previous inputs Requires separating previous, current, future Called state or tokens Ex: FSM, pipeline in CL out CL CL Finite State Machine Pipeline Slide 3
Sequencing Cont. q If tokens moved through pipeline at constant speed, no sequencing elements would be necessary q Ex: fiber-optic cable Light pulses (tokens) are sent down cable Next pulse sent before first reaches end of cable No need for hardware to separate pulses But dispersion sets min time between pulses q This is called wave pipelining in circuits q In most circuits, dispersion is high elay fast tokens so they don t catch slow ones. Slide 4
Sequencing Overhead q Use flip-flops to delay fast tokens so they move through exactly one stage each cycle. q Inevitably adds some delay to the slow tokens q Makes circuit slower than just the logic delay Called sequencing overhead q Some people call this clocking overhead But it applies to asynchronous circuits too Inevitable side effect of maintaining sequence Slide 5
Sequencing Elements q Latch: Level sensitive a.k.a. transparent latch, latch q Flip-flop: edge triggered A.k.a. master-slave flip-flop, flip-flop, register q Timing iagrams Transparent Opaque Edge-trigger (latch) Latch Flop (flop) Slide 6
Sequencing Elements q Latch: Level sensitive a.k.a. transparent latch, latch q Flip-flop: edge triggered A.k.a. master-slave flip-flop, flip-flop, register q Timing iagrams Transparent Opaque Edge-trigger (latch) Latch Flop (flop) Slide 7
Latch esign q Pass Transistor Latch q Pros + Tiny + Low clock load q Cons V t drop nonrestoring backdriving output noise sensitivity dynamic diffusion input Used in 1970 s Slide 8
Latch esign q Transmission gate + No V t drop - Requires inverted clock Slide 9
Latch esign q Inverting buffer + Restoring + No backdriving + Fixes either X Output noise sensitivity Or diffusion input Inverted output Slide 10
Latch esign q Tristate feedback + Static Backdriving risk X q Static latches are now essential Slide 11
Latch esign q Buffered input + Fixes diffusion input + Noninverting X Slide 12
Latch esign q Buffered output + No backdriving X q Widely used in standard cells + Very robust (most important) - Rather large - Rather slow (1.5 2 FO4 delays) - High clock loading Slide 13
Latch esign q atapath latch + Smaller, faster - unbuffered input X Slide 14
Flip-Flop esign q Flip-flop is built as pair of back-to-back latches X X Slide 15
Enable q Enable: ignore clock when en = 0 Mux: increase latch - delay Clock Gating: increase en setup time, skew Symbol Multiplexer esign Clock Gating esign en Latch 1 0 Latch Latch en en en Flop 1 0 en Flop Flop en Slide 16
Reset q Force output low when reset asserted q Synchronous vs. asynchronous Symbol Latch Flop reset reset Synchronous Reset Asynchronous Reset reset reset reset reset reset reset Slide 17
Set / Reset q Set forces output high when enabled q Flip-flop with asynchronous set and reset reset set reset set Slide 18
Sequencing Methods q Flip-flops q 2-Phase Latches q Pulsed Latches Flip-Flops Flop T c Combinational Logic Flop 2-Phase Transparent Latches Pulsed Latches 1 2 p 1 2 1 Latch t pw p Latch T c /2 Combinational Logic t nonoverlap Latch Combinational Logic Combinational Logic Half-Cycle 1 Half-Cycle 1 t nonoverlap Latch p Latch Slide 19
Timing iagrams Contamination and Propagation elays t pd Logic Prop. elay A Combinational Logic Y A Y t cd t pd t cd t pcq t ccq Logic Cont. elay Latch/Flop Clk- Prop elay Latch/Flop Clk- Cont. elay Flop t setup t hold t pcq t pdq Latch - Prop elay t ccq t pcq t setup t hold Latch - Cont. elay Latch/Flop Setup Time Latch/Flop Hold Time Latch t setup t hold t t ccq pcq t cdq t pdq Slide 20
Max-elay: Flip-Flops t pd ( ) Tc 1442443 sequencing overhead F1 1 Combinational Logic 2 F2 T c t pcq t setup 1 t pd 2 Slide 21
Max-elay: Flip-Flops ( setup ) tpd Tc t + tpcq 14243 sequencing overhead F1 1 Combinational Logic 2 F2 T c t pcq t setup 1 t pd 2 Slide 22
Max elay: 2-Phase Latches ( ) tpd = tpd1+ tpd 2 Tc 1442443 sequencing overhead 1 2 1 1 1 Combinational 2 2 Combinational 3 Logic 1 Logic 2 L1 L2 L3 3 1 2 T c 1 t pdq1 1 t pd1 2 t pdq2 2 t pd2 3 Slide 23
Max elay: 2-Phase Latches ( 2 ) tpd = tpd1+ tpd 2 Tc tpdq 123 sequencing overhead 1 2 1 1 1 Combinational 2 2 Combinational 3 Logic 1 Logic 2 L1 L2 L3 3 1 2 T c 1 t pdq1 1 t pd1 2 t pdq2 2 t pd2 3 Slide 24
Max elay: Pulsed Latches t pd ( ) Tc max 14444244443 sequencing overhead 1 p L1 1 Combinational Logic 2 p L2 2 T c 1 t pdq (a) t pw > t setup 1 t pd 2 p t pcq tpd tsetup T c t pw 1 (b) t pw < t setup 2 Slide 25
Max elay: Pulsed Latches ( setup ) tpd Tc max tpdq, tpcq + t tpw 14444244443 sequencing overhead 1 p L1 1 Combinational Logic 2 p L2 2 T c 1 t pdq (a) t pw > t setup 1 t pd 2 p t pcq tpd tsetup T c t pw 1 (b) t pw < t setup 2 Slide 26
Min-elay: Flip-Flops 1 t CL cd F1 2 F2 1 t ccq t cd 2 t hold Slide 27
Min-elay: Flip-Flops 1 t t t CL cd hold ccq F1 2 F2 1 t ccq t cd 2 t hold Slide 28
Min-elay: 2-Phase Latches t t cd1, cd 2 1 L1 1 CL Hold time reduced by nonoverlap 2 2 L2 Paradox: hold applies twice each cycle, vs. only once for flops. 1 2 t nonoverlap 1 t ccq t cd But a flop is made of two latches! 2 t hold Slide 29
Min-elay: 2-Phase Latches t t t t t cd1, cd 2 hold ccq nonoverlap 1 L1 1 CL Hold time reduced by nonoverlap 2 2 L2! 1 t nonoverlap 2 t ccq 1 t cd 2 t hold Slide 30
Min-elay: Pulsed Latches p tcd 1 CL L1 Hold time increased by pulse width 2 p L2 p t pw t hold 1 t ccq t cd 2 Slide 31
Min-elay: Pulsed Latches tcd thold tccq + t 1 pw CL p L1 Hold time increased by pulse width 2 p L2 p t pw t hold 1 t ccq t cd 2 Slide 32
Time Borrowing q In a flop-based system: ata launches on one rising edge Must setup before next rising edge If it arrives late, system fails If it arrives early, time is wasted Flops have hard edges q In a latch-based system ata can pass through latch while transparent Long cycle of logic can borrow time into next As long as each loop completes in one cycle Slide 33
Time Borrowing Example 1 2 1 1 2 (a) Latch Combinational Logic Latch Combinational Logic Latch Borrowing time across half-cycle boundary Borrowing time across pipeline stage boundary 1 2 (b) Latch Combinational Logic Latch Combinational Logic Loops may borrow time internally but must complete within the cycle Slide 34
How Much Borrowing? 2-Phase Latches T borrow c setup + nonoverlap ( ) t t t 2 1 1 2 L1 1 2 Combinational Logic 1 L2 2 1 Pulsed Latches 2 T c t nonoverlap t t t borrow pw setup T c /2 Nominal Half-Cycle 1 elay t borrow t setup 2 Slide 35
Clock Skew q We have assumed zero clock skew q Clocks really have uncertainty in arrival time ecreases maximum propagation delay Increases minimum contamination delay ecreases time borrowing Slide 36
Skew: Flip-Flops ( setup skew ) tpd Tc tpcq + t + t 144424443 t t t + t cd hold sequencing overhead ccq skew 1 F1 1 t pcq Combinational Logic T c t pdq 2 t setup F2 t skew 2 F1 1 CL 2 F2 t skew t hold 1 t ccq 2 t cd Slide 37
Skew: Latches 2-Phase Latches ( 2 ) tpd Tc tpdq 123 sequencing overhead 1 1 2 1 1 1 Combinational 2 2 Combinational 3 Logic 1 Logic 2 L1 L2 L3 3 t, t t t t + t cd1 cd 2 hold ccq nonoverlap skew 2 T t t + t + t 2 ( ) c borrow setup nonoverlap skew Pulsed Latches cd hold pw ccq ( setup skew ) tpd Tc max tpdq, tpcq + t tpw + t 1444442444443 t t + t t + t ( ) t t t + t sequencing overhead skew borrow pw setup skew Slide 38
Two-Phase Clocking q If setup times are violated, reduce clock speed q If hold times are violated, chip fails at any speed q In this class, working chips are most important No tools to analyze clock skew q An easy way to guarantee hold times is to use 2- phase latches with big nonoverlap times q Call these clocks 1, 2 (ph1, ph2) Slide 39
Safe Flip-Flop q In class, use flip-flop with nonoverlapping clocks Very slow nonoverlap adds to setup time But no hold times q In industry, use a better timing analyzer Add buffers to slow signals if hold time is at risk 2 1 X 2 1 2 1 2 1 Slide 40
Summary q Flip-Flops: Very easy to use, supported by all tools q 2-Phase Transparent Latches: Lots of skew tolerance and time borrowing q Pulsed Latches: Fast, some skew tol & borrow, hold time risk Slide 41