Hazard Detection in Combinational and Sequential Switching Circuits

This paper is concerned with a unified approach to the detection of hazards in both combinational and sequential circuits through the use of ternary algebra. First, hazards in a combinational network resulting from the simultaneous changing of two or more inputs are discussed. A technique is described that will detect hazards resulting from both single- and multiple-input changes. The various types of hazards connected with gate-type sequential circuits are also discussed, and a general technique is described that will detect any type of hazard or race condition that could result in an incorrect terminal state. This technique could be easily implemented in a computer program which would be capable of detecting hazards in circuits containing hundreds of logic blocks.