Since the second half of the 1980s asynchronous circuits have been the
subject of a great deal of research following a period of relative
oblivion. The lack of interest in asynchronous techniques was motivated
by the progressive shift towards synchronous design techniques that had
much more structure and were much easier to verify and synthesize.
System design requirements made it impossible to eliminate totally the
use of asynchronous circuits. Given the objective difficulty encountered
by designers, the asynchronous components of electronic systems such as
interfaces became a serious bottleneck in the design process. The use of
new models and some theoretical breakthroughs made it possible to
develop asynchronous design techniques that were reliable and effective.
This book describes a variety of mathematical models and of algorithms
that form the backbone and the body of a new design methodology for
asyn- chronous design. The book is intended for asynchronous hardware
designers, for computer-aided tool experts, and for digital designers
interested in ex- ploring the possibility of designing asynchronous
circuits. It requires a solid mathematical background in discrete event
systems and algorithms. While the book has not been written as a
textbook, nevertheless it could be used as a reference book in an
advanced course in logic synthesis or asynchronous design.