Synchronization in Digital System Design

In digital system design, synchronization ensures that operations occur in the logically correct order, and is a critical hctur in ensuring the correct and reliable system operation. As the physical size of a system increases, or as the speed of operation increases, synchronization plays an increasingly dominant role in the system design. Digital communication has developed a number of techniques to deal with synchroniLation on a global and even cosmic scale; and as the clock speeds of chip, hoard, and rwm-sized digital systems increase, they may benefit from similar techniques. Yet, the digital system and digital communication communities have evolved synchronization techniques independently, choosing different techniques and different terminology. In this paper. we attempt to present a unified framework and terminology for synchronization design in digital systems, borrowing techniques and terminologies from both digital system and digital communication design disciplines. We then compare the throughput of synchronous and asynchronous interconnect, emphasizing how it is impacted by interconnect delay. Finally, we discus5 opportunities to apply principles long employed in digital rommunications to the design of digital systems, with the goal of reducing this dependence on intercon-