Reversible Logic Based Design and Test of Field Coupled Nanocomputing Circuits

Reversible computing is based on logic circuits that can generate unique output vector from each input vector, and vice versa, that is, there is a one-to-one mapping between the input and the output vectors. Reversible computing is the only solution for non-dissipative ultra low power green computing. Conservative reversible circuits are a specific type of reversible circuits, in which there would be an equal number of 1s in the outputs as there would be on the inputs, in addition to one-to-one mapping. This work illustrates the application of reversible logic towards testing of faults in traditional and reversible field coupled nanocircuits (Portions of this chapter are based on [2]. The enhancement is comprehensive treatment of: basics of reversible computing, motivation for reversible computing, background on conservative logic, basics of QCA computing, such as QCA logic devices and QCA clocking, related work etc. Several new reversible testable designs are introduced such as design of testable reversible T latch, design of testable asynchronous set/reset D latch and master-slave D flip-flop, design of testable reversible complex sequential circuits. QCA layouts of conservative logic gates are introduced with internal design details of QCA logic devices. Complete fault patterns information and analysis are provided for conservative logic gates. The synthesis of non-reversible testable design based on MX-cqca gate is extended to MX-cqca based implementation of standard functions. The significance of this work and broader prospective for future directions is also presented.). We propose the design of two vectors testable sequential circuits based on conservative logic gates. The proposed sequential circuits based on conservative logic gates outperform the sequential circuits implemented in classical gates in terms of testability. Any sequential circuit based on conservative logic gates can be tested for classical unidirectional stuck-at faults using only two test vectors. The two test vectors are all 1s, and all 0s. The designs of two vector testable latches, master-slave flip-flops, double edge triggered flip-flops, asynchronous set/reset D latch and D flip-flop are presented. The importance of the proposed work lies in the fact that it provides the design of reversible sequential circuits completely testable for any stuck-at fault by only two test vectors, thereby eliminating the need for any type of scan-path access to internal memory cells. The reversible designs of the double edge triggered flip-flop, ring counter and Johnson Counter are proposed for the first time in literature. We are showing the application of the proposed approach towards 100 % fault coverage for single missing/additional cell defect in the QCA layout of the Fredkin gate. We are also presenting a new conservative logic gate called Multiplexer Conservative QCA gate (MX-cqca) that is not reversible in nature but has similar properties as the Fredkin gate of working as 2:1 multiplexer. The proposed MX-cqca gate surpasses the Fredkin gate in terms of complexity (the number of majority voter), speed and area.