HAZARD & GLITCHES

The time it takes for a gates outputs to

change in response to an input change is the propagation delay. The time is mainly required to apply or drain voltages in the lower-level transistors. Timing diagrams are used to show delays.

Contd.
This example, for an inverter, shows how

signal values, on the vertical axis, change with time on the horizontal axis. becomes 0, and vice versa. changes

When the input becomes 1, the output There is a slight delay before the outputs

Example : HAZARD & GLITCHES

In the circuit below, the output f should

remain 1 if the inputs change from xyz = 111 to xyz = 110. But what really happens? There is a false error, and f becomes 0 temporarily! z and yz change right after z changes. But xz has notchanged yet, so f then (incorrectly) changes to 0. Only after xz changes does f go back to 1.

Contd.

Contd.
Part of the problem here is that there are

multiple paths from the inputs (z) to the outputs, and some paths are longer than others. It is called Hazard. Hazards can be very difficult to detect and prevent in general.

Contd.

GLITCHES
A GLITCH is the fast and small unwanted

spike in the output signals of digital circuit.

Contd.
The glitch may occurs because the delay

paths through the circuit experience different propagation delays. The glitch may provides erroneous behavior of logic which has an asynchronous inputs. Usual solution to avoid any glitches is to use synchronous digital circuits and/or combinational hazard-free circuits.

GLITCHES
A HAZARD is a circuit (sub-circuit) which may

produce a glitch. Usually it happens when circuit has unbalanced propagation delay paths. There are four types of hazards:
Static-zero hazard: outgoing signal is static 0

and glitch 0>1>0 rises. Static-one hazard: outgoing signal is static 1 and glitch 1>0>1 falls. Dynamic hazard: double changing of signal, when it comes up. Dynamic hazard: double changing if signal, when it comes down.

HAZARD & GLITCHES

Why do hazards matter?

The output of a hazard-prone circuit or

program depends on conditions other than the inputs and the state In edge-triggered logic circuits, a momentary glitch resulting from a hazard can be converted into an erroneous output

Static 1 hazard detection using a Karnaugh map

Reduce the logic function to a minimal sum of

prime implicants A Karnaugh map that contains adjacent, disjoint prime implicants is subject to a static 1 hazard Adjacent prime implicants: Only one variable needs to change value to move from one prime implicant to the other

Contd.
Disjoint prime implicants No prime implicant covers cells of both of the disjoint prime implicants Correspond to AND gates that must both change their outputs when a particular input is changed

2:1 Mux implemented by minimized Sum-of-Products A

A B

X1 A B Y
Y

S B

A B

X2

Static-1 Hazard
A
A B
AND 2

Y X1 A B
OR 2

S B

BUFF

YS

DA
B
AND 2 A

Y X2

Glitch

We now have a "glitch."

Static 1 hazard detection using a Karnaugh map

AB 00 0 01 1 11 1 10 0

S=0

0 S=1

Contd.
AB 00 0 01 1 11 1 10 0

S=0

S=1

The blue oval shows the redundant term used to cover the transition between product terms.

Circuit diagram after detection

A
A
BUFF

A B YS

AND 2

Y X1 A B C Y X2
OR 3

S B

D
A B A B

AND 2 A

AND 2

Y X3

Waveform after detection