Asynchronous logic is one of those promising technologies that seem perpetually just around the corner, like artificial intelligence, reliable speech recognition, and reconfigurable logic. Universities pour forth a steady stream of papers on the subject. Academicians and corporate scientists hobnob at brainy conferences. Investors sink money into startup companies that stall just short of commercial success. Reporters and analysts write thrilling articles about how the technology is about to turn the corner.

From its roots in the 1950s, asynchronous logic has captivated circuit designers who yearn to break the bonds of clock-timed logic and create free-running processors that work at their own pace. It's been done many times, in many different ways, but conventional synchronous technology is too entrenched. In the past, asynchronous processors haven't offered enough advantages over conventional processors to make significant headway in the marketplace. Now, ARM and Handshake Solutions (a line of business within Royal Philips Electronics in the Netherlands) think conditions are changing in favor of asynchronous logic -- at least on a small scale that promises some hope of commercial success.

1. 2004-01-01T00:00:00.0000000-08:00Read more ...