Unlike conventional synchronous circuits, asynchronous circuits are not coordinated by a clocking signal, but instead use handshaking protocols to control circuit behaviour. Asynchronous circuits have been found to offer several advantages, including high energy efficiency, flexible timing requirements, high modularity, low noise/EMI, and robustness to PVT variations. At the same time, growing pressures on the electronics industry for ever smaller, more efficient ICs are pushing the limits of conventional circuit technologies. These factors are spurring growing interest in asynchronous circuits amongst both the academic research and commercial R&D communities.
This book introduces a wide range of existing and potential applications for asynchronous circuits, each accompanied with the corresponding circuit design theory, sample circuit implementations, results, and analysis. It serves as an essential guide for academic researchers and students looking to broaden their thinking in advancing asynchronous applications and design methodologies, and provides practical advice to industrial engineers when considering the incorporation of asynchronous circuits in their own applications.