Performance limitations in synchronous digital systems

Synchronous digital systems consist of functional blocks operating under the influence of a global clock signal. Fundamental performance limitations exist within these systems due to the necessary requirements of propagating data signals through logic and interconnect and synchronizing the data flow between functional blocks. These limitations depend upon the properties of the device and interconnect technologies as well as the design approach. The underlying principles necessary for the optimum design of high performance synchronous digital systems are based on these properties and have been applied to representative engineering problems.; The underlying design principles were developed by analyzing the signal transport properties of interconnect and device technologies, the transient response and latching characteristics of data registers, and the relations in time between data and clock signals. In the course of this research, these elements were investigated in detail and analytic equations were developed describing their behavior. These results were applied to the systems level problem of optimal data throughput in high speed pipelined data paths.; In order to determine the fundamental performance limitations of the complete synchronous digital system, the interdependent elements were analyzed as a single integrated system; specifically, how the clock distribution network, the registers, and the data path affect the performance of each other. This permitted the development of an integrated approach for designing and analyzing high performance synchronous systems and represents one of the fundamental results of this research effort.; Thus, this research describes: (1) The inherent limitations of technology and design methodology on maximum synchronous performance. (2) Guidelines for designing clock and data timing relationships to maximize synchronous performance. (3) An approach for designing high performance synchronous digital systems by applying the characteristics of the interconnect delay, clock distribution network, logic path, and register latching conditions to both determine and optimize the data throughput and clock frequency.; In summary, the research results presented in this dissertation provide quantitative insight into how the performance of a synchronous digital system is limited and how to design a system in order to maximize its data throughput and clock frequency.