In this paper, we propose a set of rules for consistent estimation of the real performance and power features of the flip-flop and master-slave latch structures. A new simulation and optimization approach is presented, targeting both highperformance and power budget issues. The analysis approach reveals the sources of performance and power-consumption bottlenecks in different design styles. Certain misleading parameters have been properly modified and weighted to reflect the real properties of the compared structures. Furthermore, the results of the comparison of representative master-slave latches and flipflops illustrate the advantages of our approach and the suitability of different design styles for high-performance and low-power applications.

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We present new design and analysis techniques for the synthesis of parallel multiplier circuits that have smaller predicted delay than the best current multipliers. In [4], Oklobdzija et al. suggested a new approach, the Three-Dimensional Method (TDM), for Partial Product Reduction Tree (PPRT) design that produces multipliers that outperform the current best designs. The goal of TDM is to produce a minimum delay PPRT using full adders. This is done by carefully modeling the relationship of the output delays to the input delays in an adder and, then, interconnecting the adders in a globally optimal way. Oklobdzija et al. suggested a good heuristic for finding the optimal PPRT, but no proofs about the performance of this heuristic were given. We provide a formal characterization of optimal PPRT circuits and prove a number of properties about them. For the problem of summing a set of input bits within the minimum delay, we present an algorithm that produces a minimum delay circuit in time linear in the size of the inputs. Our techniques allow us to prove tight lower bounds on multiplier circuit delays. These results are combined to create a program that finds optimal TDM multiplier designs. Using this program, we can show that, while the heuristic used in [4] does not always find the optimal TDM circuit, it performs very well in terms of overall PPRT circuit delay. However, our search algorithms find better PPRT circuits for reducing the delay of the entire multiplier.

A novel way of implementing the Leading Zero Detector (LZD) circuit is pmsented. The implementation is b a d on an algorithmic approach resulting in a modular and scalable circuit for any number of bits. We designed a 32 and 64 bit leading zero detector circuit in CMOS and ECL technology. The CMOS version was designed using both logic synthesis and an algorithmic approach. The algorithmic implementation is compnred with the results obtained using modern logic synthesis tools in the same 0.6 pm CMOS technology. The implementation based on an dgorithmic approach showed an advantage compared to the results produced by the logic synthesis. ECL implementation of the 64 bit LZD circuit was simulated to perform in under 200 pS for nominal speed.

This paper represents a departure from the conventional methods of design and analysis of clocked storage elements that rely on minimizing a fixed energy-delay metric. Instead it establishes a systematic comparison in the energy-delay design space based on the parameters of the surrounding blocks. We define the composite energy-efficient characteristic over all storage element topologies and identify the most efficient storage element depending on its position on the composite characteristic relative to other topologies within a pipeline stage. Thus, we show that an optimal design could use a mixed variety of clocked storage elements (CSEs) depending on their placement in the pipeline and critical path. Since a well-designed system has hardware intensities balanced for a given cycle, a CSE choice will be made depending on the pipeline and path intensities. We show that a meaningful comparison can be carried out only by acknowledging that the optimal design and choice of the clocked storage elements depends heavily on the application, and by analyzing the energy and delay of the clocked storage elements in context of this application. The analysis in the energy-delay space allows us to understand some intuitive design choices in a quantitative way and to identify the optimal storage element topologies for an arbitrary system specification.

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