Evaluation of three 32-bit CMOS adders in DCVS logic for self-timed circuits

The efficient implementation of adders in differential logic can be carried out using a new generate signal (N) presented in this paper. This signal enables iterative shared transistor structures to be built with a better speed/area performance than a conventional implementation. It also allows adders developed in domino logic to be easily adapted to differential logic. Based on this signal, three 32-b adders in differential cascode switch voltage (DCVS) logic with completion circuit for applications in self-timed circuits have been fabricated in a standard 1.0-/spl mu/m two-level metal CMOS technology. The adders are: a ripple-carry (RC) adder, a carry look-ahead (CLA) adder, and a binary carry look-ahead (BCL) adder. The RC adder has the best levels of performance for random input data, but its delay is significantly influenced by the length of the carry propagation path, and thus is not recommended in circuits with nonrandom input operands. The BCL adder is the fastest but has a high cost in chip area. The CLA adder provides an intermediate option, with an area which is 20% greater than that of the RC adder. Its average delay is slightly greater than that of the other two adders, with an addition time which increases slowly with the carry propagate length even for adders with a high number of bits.