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Automating the Design of Asynchronous Logic Control for AMS Electronics

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Danil Sokolov, Dr Victor Khomenko, Dr Andrey Mokhov, Vladimir Dubikhin, Professor Alex Yakovlev

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This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by IEEE, 2019.

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Abstract

Analog and mixed signal (AMS) electronics becomes increasingly complex and needs to be digitally enhanced by its own control circuitry. The RTL synthesis flow routinely used for digital logic is however optimized for synchronous data processing and produces inefficient control for AMS. In this paper we demonstrate the evident benefits of asynchronous circuits in the context of AMS systems, and propose an asynchronous design for analog electronics (A4A) flow for their specification, synthesis, and formal verification. A library of specialized analog-to-asynchronous (A2A) components is developed for interfacing analog and asynchronous worlds. A4A flow is automated in the Workcraft framework and evaluated using a multiphase buck converter case study where A2A components are employed to sanitise analog sensor readings. Timing analysis of asynchronous buck control shows improved response time: 4x faster reaction to high-load and 7x to under-voltage condition, compared with a 333MHz clocked controller (to achieve a similar response time, a clocked controller would require ~3GHz frequency). The simulation results of a 4-phase asynchronous buck demonstrate improved voltage ripple and peak current – 16% and 12% reduction, respectively. These benefits lead to the higher efficiency of power conversion, and can be traded off for the cost of analog components, e.g. coils. Moreover, the use of the proposed design flow and tools helps to improve design productivity and overall robustness of AMS circuits.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Sokolov D, Khomenko V, Mokhov A, Dubikhin V, Lloyd D, Yakovlev A

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems

Year: 2019

Volume: 39

Issue: 5

Pages: 952-965

Print publication date: 01/05/2020

Online publication date: 27/03/2019

Acceptance date: 24/02/2019

Date deposited: 08/03/2019

ISSN (print): 0278-0070

ISSN (electronic): 1937-4151

Publisher: IEEE

URL: https://doi.org/10.1109/TCAD.2019.2907905

DOI: 10.1109/TCAD.2019.2907905


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
EP/L025507/1EPSRC

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