Asynchronous circuit

Asynchronous circuit (clockless or self-timed circuit): Lecture 12  : 157–186  is a <a href="/facts/Sequential_logic/Rcs4thlu">sequential</a> <a href="/facts/Digital_logic/RHLulvKI">digital logic</a> <a href="/facts/Electrical_network/zt94kTW0">circuit</a> that does not use a global <a href="/facts/Clock_circuit/LLnbc9kp">clock circuit</a> or <a href="/facts/Clock_signal/9UfTzGHx">signal</a> generator to synchronize its components.: 3–5  Instead, the components are driven by a handshaking circuit which indicates a completion of a set of instructions. Handshaking works by simple data transfer <a href="/facts/Communications_protocol/5uady7cB">protocols</a>.: 115  Many synchronous circuits were developed in early 1950s as part of bigger <a href="/facts/Asynchronous_system/45LaDGdA">asynchronous systems</a> (e.g. <a href="/facts/ORDVAC/14nY3ax5">ORDVAC</a>). Asynchronous circuits and theory surrounding is a part of several steps in <a href="/facts/Integrated_circuit_design/sE0qVzyo">integrated circuit design</a>, a field of <a href="/facts/Digital_electronics/3kJcKbkw">digital electronics</a> engineering.
Asynchronous circuits are contrasted with <a href="/facts/Synchronous_circuit/k3yddBIN">synchronous circuits</a>, in which changes to the signal values in the circuit are triggered by repetitive pulses called a <a href="/facts/Clock_signal/9UfTzGHx">clock signal</a>. Most digital devices today use synchronous circuits. However asynchronous circuits have a potential to be much faster, have a lower level of power consumption, electromagnetic interference, and better modularity in large systems. Asynchronous circuits are an active area of research in <a href="/facts/Logic_design/w35wWFfK">digital logic design</a>.
It was not until the 1990s when viability of the asynchronous circuits was shown by real-life commercial products.: 4

Asynchronous circuit open-in-new

Asynchronous circuit