Finite State Machine Datapath Design, Optimization, and Implementation explores the design space of combined FSM/Datapath implementations. The lecture starts by examining performance issues in digital systems such as clock skew and its effect on setup and hold time constraints, and the use of pipelining for increasing system clock frequency. This is followed by definitions for latency and throughput, with associated resource tradeoffs explored in detail through the use of dataflow graphs and scheduling tables applied to examples taken from digital signal processing applications. Also, design issues relating to functionality, interfacing, and performance for different types of memories commonly found in ASICs and FPGAs such as FIFOs, single-ports, and dual-ports are examined. Selected design examples are presented in implementation-neutral Verilog code and block diagrams, with associated design files available as downloads for both Altera Quartus and Xilinx Virtex FPGA platforms. A working knowledge of Verilog, logic synthesis, and basic digital design techniques is required. This lecture is suitable as a companion to the synthesis lecture titled Introduction to Logic Synthesis using Verilog HDL. Table of Contents: Calculating Maximum Clock Frequency / Improving Design Performance / Finite State Machine with Datapath (FSMD) Design / Embedded Memory Usage in Finite State Machine with Datapath (FSMD) Designs
About the Author: Justin Stanford Davis received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in August 2003, as well as his M.S. and B.E.E. degrees in 1999 and 1997. During the summers of 1998 and 1999, he worked at Hewlett-Packard (now Agilent Technologies). In fall of 2003, he joined the faculty in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Mississippi State University as an Assistant Professor. His research interests include digital testing for high-speed systems, SoCs, and SoPs, as well as signal integrity, systems engineering, and faulttolerant design. He is currently working on the development of low-cost test support processors using programmable devices.Robert B. Reese received the B.S. degree from Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, in 1979 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M University, College Station, in 1982 and 1985, respectively, all in electrical engineering. He served as a Member of the Technical Staff of the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC), Austin, TX, from 1985 to 1988. Since 1988, he has been with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, where he is an Associate Professor. Courses that he teaches include VLSI systems, Digital System design, and Microprocessors. His research interests include self-timed digital systems and computer architecture.