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At least 19 records

Shorter function summaries for finite state machine-based high consequence systems using logic synthesis and tautologies (Final Report LDRD 24-1302)

Computer programs are often viewed as collections of functions – each function has parameters (inputs) and computes a return value, and each has potential side effects that modify program state (outputs). In this research, a Sandia symbolic execution tool designed to support “human-in-the-loop” analysis was modified to automatically create “function summaries,” and a new tool, “diaboolical,” was created to support enhancing readability of the summary using a novel approach to bit-vector simplification that leverages logic synthesis and tautologies. For this effort, students at Auburn University created several finite state machines (FSMs) to serve as exemplars for high-consequence systems. Function summaries for each of the machines were obtained, and then portions of the summaries were simplified using both diaboolical and the simplification procedure of a popular SMT solver. A comparison of the results shows that diaboolical can often produce smaller function summaries, with expression length improvements over the unsimplified function summaries ranging from 0% to 90% for diaboolical and 0% to 65% for the SMT solver, though diaboolical had a significantly greater cost in time. Diaboolical was evaluated against a collection of “arbitrary” C-code as well as FSM exemplars, and for both datasets it achieved an approximately 10% improvement in expression length compared to simplifications that could be obtained using existing techniques. Function summaries can assist assurance efforts that evaluate existing systems and their executable code. A smaller function summary is likely easier for humans to understand and could thus increase the ability and efficacy of assurance practices centered around the analysis of executable artifacts.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Logic synthesis from DDL description

The implementation of DDLTRN and DDLSIM programs on SEL-2 computer system is reported. These programs were tested with DDL descriptions of various complexity. An algorithm to synthesize the combinational logic using the cells available in the standard IC cell library was formulated. The algorithm is implemented as a FORTRAN program and a description of the program is given.

Shiva, S. G.↗

A parallel algorithm for multi-level logic synthesis using the transduction method

The Transduction Method has been shown to be a powerful tool in the optimization of multilevel networks. Many tools such as the SYLON synthesis system (X90), (CM89), (LM90) have been developed based on this method. A parallel implementation is presented of SYLON-XTRANS (XM89) on an eight processor Encore Multimax shared memory multiprocessor. It minimizes multilevel networks consisting of simple gates through parallel pruning, gate substitution, gate merging, generalized gate substitution, and gate input reduction. This implementation, called Parallel TRANSduction (PTRANS), also uses partitioning to break large circuits up and performs inter- and intra-partition dynamic load balancing. With this, good speedups and high processor efficiencies are achievable without sacrificing the resulting circuit quality.

Lim, Chieng-Fai↗

Threshold logic - a synthesis approach.

Book on threshold logic for logical design of digital systems including threshold element synthesis by iteration, tabulation and network synthesis

NETWORK SYNTHESIS↗

Fuzzy set methods for object recognition in space applications

During the reporting period, the development of the theory and application of methodologies for decision making under uncertainty was addressed. Two subreports are included; the first on properties of general hybrid operators, while the second considers some new research on generalized threshold logic units. In the first part, the properties of the additive gamma-model, where the intersection part is first considered to be the product of the input values and the union part is obtained by an extension of De Morgan's law to fuzzy sets, is explored. Then the Yager's class of union and intersection is used in the additive gamma-model. The inputs are weighted to some power that represents their importance and thus their contribution to the compensation process. In the second part, the extension of binary logic synthesis methods to multiple valued logic synthesis methods to enable the synthesis of decision networks when the input/output variables are not binary is discussed.

Keller, James M.↗

SODA Synthesizer: an Open-source, Multi-level, Modular, Extensible Compiler from High-level Frameworks to Silicon

The SODA Synthesizer is an open-source modular, end-to-end hardware compiler framework. The SODA frontend, developed in MLIR, performs system-level design, code partitioning, and high-level optimizations to prepare the specifications for the hardware synthesis. The backend is based on a state-of-the-art high-level synthesis tool, and generates the final hardware design. The backend can interface with logic synthesis tools for field programmable gate arrays or with commercial and open-source logic synthesis tools for application-specific integrated circuits. We discuss the opportunities and challenges in integrating with commercial and open-source tools both at the frontend and backend, and the unique opportunities that an open-source hardware design ecosystem provides.

Bohm Agostini, Nicolas↗

Quantum logic gate synthesis as a Markov decision process

Reinforcement learning has witnessed recent applications to a variety of tasks in quantum programming. The underlying assumption is that those tasks could be modeled as Markov decision processes (MDPs). Here, we investigate the feasibility of this assumption by exploring its consequences for single-qubit quantum state preparation and gate compilation. By forming discrete MDPs, we solve for the optimal policy exactly through policy iteration. We find optimal paths that correspond to the shortest possible sequence of gates to prepare a state or compile a gate, up to some target accuracy. Our method works in both the absence and presence of noise and compares favorably to other quantum compilation methods, such as the Ross–Selinger algorithm. This work provides theoretical insight into why reinforcement learning may be successfully used to find optimally short gate sequences in quantum programming.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

N channel JFET based digital logic gate structure

A circuit topography is presented which is used to create usable digital logic gates using N (negatively doped) channel Junction Field Effect Transistors (JFETs) and load resistors, level shifting resistors, and supply rails whose values are based on the direct current (DC) parametric distributions of those JFETs. This method has direct application to the current state of the art in high temperature, for example 300.degree. C. to 500.degree. C. and higher, silicon carbide (SiC) device production. The ability to produce inverting and combinatorial logic enables the production of pulse and edge triggered latches. This scale of logic synthesis would bring digital logic and state machine capabilities to devices operating in extremely hot environments, such as the surface of Venus, near hydrothermal vents, within nuclear reactors (SiC is inherently radiation hardened), and within internal combustion engines. The basic logic gate can be configured as a driver for oscillator circuits allowing for time bases and simple digitizers for resistive or reactive sensors. The basic structure of this innovation, the inverter, can be reconfigured into various analog circuit topographies through the use of feedback structures.

Krasowski, Michael J.↗

Canonical multi-valued input Reed-Muller trees and forms

There is recently an increased interest in logic synthesis using EXOR gates. The paper introduces the fundamental concept of Orthogonal Expansion, which generalizes the ring form of the Shannon expansion to the logic with multiple-valued (mv) inputs. Based on this concept we are able to define a family of canonical tree circuits. Such circuits can be considered for binary and multiple-valued input cases. They can be multi-level (trees and DAG's) or flattened to two-level AND-EXOR circuits. Input decoders similar to those used in Sum of Products (SOP) PLA's are used in realizations of multiple-valued input functions. In the case of the binary logic the family of flattened AND-EXOR circuits includes several forms discussed by Davio and Green. For the case of the logic with multiple-valued inputs, the family of the flattened mv AND-EXOR circuits includes three expansions known from literature and two new expansions.

Perkowski, M. A.↗

DRS: Derivational Reasoning System

The high reliability requirements for airborne systems requires fault-tolerant architectures to address failures in the presence of physical faults, and the elimination of design flaws during the specification and validation phase of the design cycle. Although much progress has been made in developing methods to address physical faults, design flaws remain a serious problem. Formal methods provides a mathematical basis for removing design flaws from digital systems. DRS (Derivational Reasoning System) is a formal design tool based on advanced research in mathematical modeling and formal synthesis. The system implements a basic design algebra for synthesizing digital circuit descriptions from high level functional specifications. DRS incorporates an executable specification language, a set of correctness preserving transformations, verification interface, and a logic synthesis interface, making it a powerful tool for realizing hardware from abstract specifications. DRS integrates recent advances in transformational reasoning, automated theorem proving and high-level CAD synthesis systems in order to provide enhanced reliability in designs with reduced time and cost.

Bose, Bhaskar↗

Experiments on technology mapping using different cell libraries

Technology mapping is one of the major steps in the synthesis process of integrated circuits. Efficient algorithms have been proposed in the recent past to optimize the number of cells required to implement a given design, but not enough effort has been spent in studying the relationship between the quality of the circuit produced by the logic synthesis tool and the cell library used to perform the mapping. In this paper we present experiments on technology mapping that show how the design of the cell library can influence the area and the delay of the synthesized circuit.

Macii, Enrico↗

Next generation functional components for space telemetry data processing

The use of new design methodologies to continue the evolution of telemetry data systems to higher levels of integration is discussed. In particular, hardware description languages and automated logic synthesis tools are used to create very dense Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) that generically implement telemetry processing functions. The use of the ASICs will make it possible to develop a new generation of functional components, each of the components integrating several telemetry processing subsystems into a single card.

Bennett, Toby↗

ProperCAD: A portable object-oriented parallel environment for VLSI CAD

Most parallel algorithms for VLSI CAD proposed to date have one important drawback: they work efficiently only on machines that they were designed for. As a result, algorithms designed to date are dependent on the architecture for which they are developed and do not port easily to other parallel architectures. A new project under way to address this problem is described. A Portable object-oriented parallel environment for CAD algorithms (ProperCAD) is being developed. The objectives of this research are (1) to develop new parallel algorithms that run in a portable object-oriented environment (CAD algorithms using a general purpose platform for portable parallel programming called CARM is being developed and a C++ environment that is truly object-oriented and specialized for CAD applications is also being developed); and (2) to design the parallel algorithms around a good sequential algorithm with a well-defined parallel-sequential interface (permitting the parallel algorithm to benefit from future developments in sequential algorithms). One CAD application that has been implemented as part of the ProperCAD project, flat VLSI circuit extraction, is described. The algorithm, its implementation, and its performance on a range of parallel machines are discussed in detail. It currently runs on an Encore Multimax, a Sequent Symmetry, Intel iPSC/2 and i860 hypercubes, a NCUBE 2 hypercube, and a network of Sun Sparc workstations. Performance data for other applications that were developed are provided: namely test pattern generation for sequential circuits, parallel logic synthesis, and standard cell placement.

Ramkumar, Balkrishna↗

Radiation hardened microprocessor for small payloads

The RH-3000 program is developing a rad-hard space qualified 32-bit MIPS R-3000 RISC processor under the Naval Research Lab sponsorship. In addition, under IR&D Harris is developing RHC-3000 for embedded control applications where low cost and radiation tolerance are primary concerns. The development program leverages heavily from commercial development of the MIPS R-3000. The commercial R-3000 has a large installed user base and several foundry partners are currently producing a wide variety of R-3000 derivative products. One of the MIPS derivative products, the LR33000 from LSI Logic, was used as the basis for the design of the RH-3000 chipset. The RH-3000 chipset consists of three core chips and two support chips. The core chips include the CPU, which is the R-3000 integer unit and the FPA/MD chip pair, which performs the R-3010 floating point functions. The two support whips contain all the support functions required for fault tolerance support, real-time support, memory management, timers, and other functions. The Harris development effort had first passed silicon success in June, 1992 with the first rad-hard 32-bit RH-3000 CPU chip. The CPU device is 30 kgates, has a 508 mil by 503 mil die size and is fabricated at Harris Semiconductor on the rad-hard CMOS Silicon on Sapphire (SOS) process. The CPU device successfully passed tesing against 600,000 test vectors derived directly on the LSI/MIPS test suite and has been operational as a single board computer running C code for the past year. In addition, the RH-3000 program has developed the methodology for converting commercially developed designs utilizing logic synthesis techniques based on a combination of VHDK and schematic data bases.

Shah, Ravi↗

Groundspeed filtering for CTAS

Ground speed is one of the radar observables which is obtained along with position and heading from NASA Ames Center radar. Within the Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS), groundspeed is converted into airspeed using the wind speeds which CTAS obtains from the NOAA weather grid. This airspeed is then used in the trajectory synthesis logic which computes the trajectory for each individual aircraft. The time history of the typical radar groundspeed data is generally quite noisy, with high frequency variations on the order of five knots, and occasional 'outliers' which can be significantly different from the probable true speed. To try to smooth out these speeds and make the ETA estimate less erratic, filtering of the ground speed is done within CTAS. In its base form, the CTAS filter is a 'moving average' filter which averages the last ten radar values. In addition, there is separate logic to detect and correct for 'outliers', and acceleration logic which limits the groundspeed change in adjacent time samples. As will be shown, these additional modifications do cause significant changes in the actual groundspeed filter output. The conclusion is that the current ground speed filter logic is unable to track accurately the speed variations observed on many aircraft. The Kalman filter logic however, appears to be an improvement to the current algorithm used to smooth ground speed variations, while being simpler and more efficient to implement. Additional logic which can test for true 'outliers' can easily be added by looking at the difference in the a priori and post priori Kalman estimates, and not updating if the difference in these quantities is too large.

Slater, Gary L.↗