Beta Phase: Square45 is currently in beta testing. Expect some features or content to be incomplete or missing.
45

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Design

Comparing clock-driven (synchronous) circuits, which use a global clock signal, against self-timed (asynchronous) circuits, which rely on handshaking protocols.
📜

The statement of the theorem

Synchronous circuits operate under a global clock signal CLK\text{CLK}, where all state updates occur simultaneously at the clock edge: Q(t+1)=f(Q(t),X(t),CLK)Q(t+1) = f(Q(t), X(t), \text{CLK}). Asynchronous circuits rely on handshaking protocols, where state transitions are triggered by local completion signals (e.g., Request\text{Request} and Acknowledge\text{Acknowledge}). The transition is governed by the logical AND of completion signals, Q(t+1)=f(Q(t),X(t))⋅(Req∧Ack)Q(t+1) = f(Q(t), X(t)) \cdot (\text{Req} \land \text{Ack}).