Async Processors

rickman wrote:
> Likewise, I don't see any reason to belive that async clocked logic
> design has significant advantages over standard sync clocked logic
> design for most applications.

Proponents of async state that async designs automatically adjust
performance and power consumption across the entire range of
environmentals (temp, voltage, thermal gradients, etc) as long as the
underlying hardware is still performing correctly. They state that this
reduces hardware costs by allowing higher variances in temp, voltage,
thermal gradient, etc while extending the operating range past what is
achievable with traditional sync design at lower costs. This is clearly
useful in a wide range of applications from hand held battery operated
devices, to harsh industrial/automotive environments. By removing the
global clock, they also obtain EMC benifits that are critical to many
applications, which also lower shielding, packaging, filtering and
other EMC mitigation costs. That tools like the Phased Logic conversion
utilities, semiautomatically take existing designs, convert them to
async, and achieve part or all of these benifits.

You state that YOU can do better (IE lower costs and improve
performance for the same applications) by adding hardware and extensive
testing to determine the correct margins so that the system can
automatically adjust clock speeds and other factors to obtain the same
extended operation ranges, at the same or better performance, and the
same or lower closts. You fail to explain just how you can do this --
at the same or better performance, at a lower cost. You fail to offer a
similar conversion tool which takes existing designs and lowers it's
power, while extending it's operating range and reducing EMC
requirements without additional hardware costs or allowing equivalent
lower cost components, packaging, and other environmental controls.

Until you can enlighten the world about your claims, you are just
insulting a lot of people which believe they are doing genuine state of
the art research and product development to better man kind and our
industry.