Skip to main content

Axioms for memory access in asynchronous hardware systems

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
  • 139 Accesses

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 197))

Abstract

The problem of concurrent accesses to memory registers by asynchronous components is considered. A set of axioms about the values in a register during concurrent accesses is proposed. It is shown that if these axioms are met by a register then concurrent accesses to it may be viewed as nonconcurrent, thus making it possible to analyze asynchronous algorithms without elaborate timing analysis of operations. These axioms are shown, in a certain sense, to be the weakest. Motivation for this work came from analyzing low level hardware components in a VLSI chip which concurrently access a flip-flop.

This work was supported by a grant from the IBM Corporation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Chaney, T. and Molnar, C., “Anomalous Behavior of Synchronizer and Arbiter Circuits,” IEEE Trans. on Computers, April 73, pp. 421–422.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lamport, L., “Concurrent Reading and Writing,” CACM, Vol. 20, No. 11 (November 77), pp. 806–811.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Lamport, L., “A New Approach to Proving the Correctness of Multiprocess Program,” ACM TOPLAS, Vol. 1, No. 1, July 79.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Lamport, L., “A Theorem on Multiprocess Algorithms,” Technical Report CA-7503-2011, Massachusetts Computer Associates, March 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Marino, L.P., “General Theory of Metastable Operation,” IEEE Trans. on Computers, Vol. C-30, No.2, February 81.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Mills, H.D. and Lounsbery, J.M., “Combinatorial Analyses of Process Synchronization,” IBM, FSD (internal memo), August 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Owicki, S. and Gries, D., “An Axiomatic Proof Technique for Parallel Programs,” Acta Informatica 6, 4 (1976), pp. 319–340.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Saunders, J.M., “Engineering Description of a Flip Flop Reader and Writer,” IBM, FSD (internal memo), January 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ullman, Jeffrey D., Principles of Database Systems, Computer Science Press, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Wann, D. and Franklin, M., “Asynchronous and Clocked Control Structures for VLSI Based Interconnection Networks,” IEEE Trans. on Computer, Vol. C-32, No. 3, March 1983, pp. 264–293.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Stephen D. Brookes Andrew William Roscoe Glynn Winskel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1985 Springer-Verlag

About this paper

Cite this paper

Misra, J. (1985). Axioms for memory access in asynchronous hardware systems. In: Brookes, S.D., Roscoe, A.W., Winskel, G. (eds) Seminar on Concurrency. CONCURRENCY 1984. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 197. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-15670-4_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-15670-4_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-15670-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-39593-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics