RACE CONDITION IN J-K

FLIP FLOP
The J-K Flip Flop
CLK J K Qn+1 Qn+1
1 0 0 Qn Qn
1 0 1 0 1
1 1 0 1 0
1 1 1 Qn Qn
The J-K Flip Flop (contd.)
Timing Race
Many cascaded flip-flops, clocked simultaneously
with the input being passed to the output
The propagation delay in each device will be
cumulative and add up
If data doesn't ripple through the line and become
stable at each output before the next clock, bad
information passes into the next stage. This is called
timing race.
Race conditions give you bad data
Timing Race (contd.)
It takes at the most 45ns to get through each flip-flop
Approximate window of 180ns for which data is invalid
Insignificant while counting hours but significant for
counting milliseconds
Ton > Overall Tpd

Race Condition In J-K Flip Flops

What?
Takes place when both inputs J and K are
high (J=K=1)
Multiple instances of toggling of the output in
level triggered J-K flip flops
Ambiguous output and erratic behaviour
May not always produce predictable output
Why?
Level triggered circuits
Output will change every time the input
changes
Unwanted changes in input may occur due to
noise, consequently changing the output
Occurs mainly because of the feedback
connections (Q &Qbar)


Race Condition In J-K Flip Flops

The time period of the clock pulse is greater than the
propagation delay of the latch/flip flop

Output changes or toggles in a single clock period

If it toggles even number of times the output is same
but if it toggles odd number of times then the output
is complemented

This leads to ambiguity

Race Condition In J-K Flip Flops

How?
When J= K =1 and clock= 1, the value of output
should be toggled
Practically, we do not get toggling

Race Condition In J-K Flip Flops

Solutions
1. If Ton < Tpd

2. Edge Triggering

Output is affected only at the time of presence of
edge i.e. only during the rising or falling edge of a
clock pulse
When the input clock pulse makes a +ve/-ve going
transition, the input is transferred to output
Changes in input when clock is maintained at a steady
1 value do not affect Q
A -ve pulse transition does not affect the output and
nor does when clock pulse is 0
Thus, edge triggering eliminates any feedback
problem

Solutions
3. J-K Master Slave flip flop
Two latches connected serially
Clock is connected directly to Master and inverted to Slave
Inputs fed at the +ve edge and outputs available at the -ve
edge

Solutions
When clock is
high Master is
functional and
when clock is
low Slave is
functional
The outputs from the master flip flop are only seen by
the gated slave flip flop when the clock input goes LOW
to logic level 0
Master-Slave JK Flip flop is a Synchronous device as it only
passes data with the timing of the clock signal
Solutions