Hierarchical verification of asynchronous circuits using temporal logic

Establishing the correctness of complicated asynchronous circuit is in general quite difficult because of the high degree of nondeterminism that is inherent in such devices. Nevertheless, it is also very important in view of the cost involved in design and testing of circuits. We show how to give specifications for circuits in a branching time temporal logic and how to mechanically verify them using a simple and efficient model checker. We also show how to tackle a large and complex circuit by verifying it hierarchically.