1. 332:437 Lecture 15 System Controller Design
Mnemonic Documented State Diagram
Timing Diagram
Flow Diagram
Summary
Material from An Engineering Approach to Digital Design, by William I. Fletcher, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

2. Multi-Input System Controller Design
General System Level Design
Special Sequential Machine – interprets system level control input sequences and generate system level and pulse output sequences
Controls a data path consisting of Registers, MUXes, etc.
Nerve Center – Has many control inputs & outputs
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

3. Example System Controller
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

4. Controller Implementation
In many cases, the system controller will be implemented by a mprocessor and a ROM
Follow a structured design procedure
It leads to much less work
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

5. Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15
Design Procedure
Know what you are going to do & how you are going to do it
Design documentation should be a natural outcome of your work
Document your work so that you and others can understand it
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

6. Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15
Design Process
Define the purpose and role of the digital system in English writing.
Define the logic operations & limitations of the systems that the system controller is to control (Data Path Synthesis).
Aided by designing a first-cut flow diagram and logic clock diagram
Leads to Functional Partition
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

7. Design Process (continued)
Create timing diagram – Define timing & frequency of system level input & output control signals.
Note any specific timing constraints.
Detail sequential behavior of system controllers. Determine registers, temporary storage, special circuit & other subfunction requirements.
For system controller & overall system
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

8. Design Process (continued)
Develop detailed timing diagrams for system level & subfunction control.
Develop Mnemonic Documented State Diagram (MDS) for system controller.
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

9. Mnemonic Documented State Diagram for Controller
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

10. Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15
Controller Timing Diagram
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

11. Controller Flow Diagram
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

12. Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15
MDS Diagram
State labeled with * to indicate that branching (from state) is controlled by an asynchronous input
Level/ Pulse notation
Means assert a signal (no voltage level implied)
Means deassert (no voltage level
implied)
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

13. MDS Diagram (Continued)
Means output a pulse, synchronous either with a clock or with the presence in a state or both
Design System Controller Flow Diagram – Like a Software Flow Chart but for hardware
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

14. Timing Frequency Considerations
At what point in time can a controlling input be expected? Is it synchronous or asynchronous?
How long will input be asserted?
How much time elapses after the input until a control output is expected?
When must the control signal be issued in the time frame?
How long with the output signal remain asserted?
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

15. Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15
Hardest Part
Create
Functional Partition
Detailed Flow Diagram
Detailed Timing diagram
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

16. Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15
Five Concepts
Action block in Flow Diagram corresponds to a state in MDSD
State Diagram begins & ends with an action clock
Branching condition for state in MDS Diagram found by tracing decision paths in Flow Diagram
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

17. Five Concepts (continued)
Avoid making branching decision in one state based on >1 asynchronous inputs
Generalized outputs symbolized by action notation in action blocks
Unconditional & conditional outputs specified with duration time dependent on an input variable
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Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15

18. Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15
Summary
System Controller Design
Mnemonic Documented State Diagram
Timing Diagram
Flow Diagram
11/20/2018
Bushnell: Digital Systems Design Lecture 15