2.

Divide-&-Conquer (D&C) Based Design 1

Using the D&C approach, you need to design a combinational circuit that counts the number of 1’s
in an n-bit number (bit-string) A. The resulting circuit needs to be as fast as possible via designing a
fast D&C structure (which mainly, though not exclusively, will be due to having a minimum number
of levels), but not by using a faster and thus more expensive design of leaf or stitch-up functions than
their least expensive design. Assume that n = 2k, for some k. As part of your design derivation, you
need to clearly show the following aspects of your D&C approach.
(a) The breakup of the root problem into two or more subproblems, including a clear description of
what those subproblems are. 25
(b) The stitch-up function at each level i of the D&C tree (level 1 is the top level). This can be
described/designed in a generic way for level i in terms of its functionality and input/output size
(number of bits); need not give different stitch-ups for each different level i.
If the stitch-up function is a well-known or at least well-defined mathematical or logical function
that you can describe mathematically and/or logically, then you need not derive the truth table
(TT) or exact logic expressions and gate-level implementation of this function. Otherwise, you
can just give the TT or logic expressions of the function. Note also, that in the former case,
the stitch-up function can either be one well-defined function or a composition of two or more
well-defined functions.
Also, for this problem, the stitch up function should be designed with the minimum hardware
cost; so do not use a fast stitch-up function to speed up your design if it has more hardware cost
than a slow design. 75
(c) The leaf function, which is the function that is needed at the bottom of the D&C tree. Again, the
leaf function should be described in a similar way as specified for the stitch-up function. Note
that the level of the D&C tree at which the leaf function’s realization is appropriate is dependent
on the design problem, and can typically range from a problem of size 1 to 4 bits. In this case,
you need to judiciously determine this level so that it makes sense for the current problem. The
leaf function also should be designed with the minimum hardware cost. 25
Finally, note that in some designs the stitch-up and leaf functions are different and in others,
they are the same. It is for you to determine what the case is for this problem (this is also partly
dependent on your D&C approach).
(d) The schematic of the final design for n = 8 in terms of the interconnections between the leaf and
3
stitch-up function blocks, in which the smallest basic blocks of input size _ 4 (see the next item
for the definition) that the stitch-up and leaf blocks may be composed of, are also shown. The
structure of the circuit should be complete and clearly understandable. Show the critical path of
your design in the schematic. 50
(e) Determine the delay of this circuit as a function of n, assuming that the delay of the smallest
well-defined basic function(s)/block(s) with a small constant number of inputs (i.e., whose
number of inputs is not a function of n and is a small number, say, _ 4) that you use in your
stitch-up functions and leaf functions is 1 unit. Note that if there are other basic functional blocks
with a small constant number of inputs, but which are larger than the smallest block, take their
delay to be an appropriate multiple of unity (delay of smallest-size block) and briefly justify this
multiple. 75
(f) Analyze the hardware cost of your design as a function of n, assuming unit cost for the smallestsize
well-defined basic function block (each with a small constant number of, say, _ 4, inputs).
Note that if there are other basic functional blocks with a small constant number of inputs, but
which are larger than the smallest block, take their cost to be an appropriate multiple of unity
(cost of smallest-size block) and briefly justify this multiple. 50
Maximum points can only be obtained for fast and hardware-cost-efficient designs. Note again that
the speed of the design is to be obtained by a good D&C structure and not by using a faster stitch-up
or leaf function design (in case. multiple designs are possible for the determined stitch-up and leaf
functions) Total 300
Summation Closed Form Hint:
Xk
i=0
(i _ ai) = a _
Xk
i=0
(i _ ai􀀀1) = a _
Xk
i=0
d(ai)
da
=a_
d
Pki
=0 ai
da
=a_
d(1 􀀀 ak+1)=(1 􀀀 a)
da
( if a < 1)
= a _ [􀀀(k + 1)ak=(1 􀀀 a) + (1 􀀀 ak+1)=(1 􀀀 a)2]
A similar approach applies if a > 1.
4
3. Divide-&-Conquer (D&C) Based Design 2
Use the divide-and-conquer (D&C) approach to design a combinational multi-bit left-shifting circuit
with inputs that are an n-bit number X (the shiftee) and a log2 n bit # m (the shift amount), and
which outputs a (2n 􀀀 1)-bit number Z that is X shifted m times. E.g., if X = 11000111, and
m = 110 = 6, then X needs to be shifted by 6 bits and Z = 011000111000000. Such a shifter is
called an (n; log2 n), shifter—an (n; k) shifter shifts n bits of some inputX by the shift value encoded
in k bits.
As part of your design derivation, you need to clearly show the following aspects of your D&C
approach.
(a) The breakup of the root problem (i.e., the first level breakup) for an n-bit X into two or more
subproblems, including a clear description of what those subproblems are. 50
(b) Stitch-up Issues:
– If there is a stitch-up function for this problem derive the design. If the stitch-up function is
a well-known or at least well-defined mathematical or logical function that you can describe
mathematically and/or logically, then you need not derive the truth table (TT) or exact logic
expressions and gate-level implementation of this function. Otherwise, you can just give
the TT or logic expressions of the function. Note also, that in the former case, the stitch-up
function can either be one well-defined function or a composition of two or more welldefined
functions.
– If there is subproblem dependency for your breakup, specify what it is, and if so, discuss
if it makes sense to use the Wait or the DAC strategy to resolve the dependency, and do
accordingly in your design.
25
(c) The leaf function, which is the function that is needed at the bottom of the D&C tree. Again, the
leaf function should be described in a similar way as specified for the stitch-up function. Note
that the level of the D&C tree at which the leaf function’s realization is appropriate is dependent
on the design problem, and can typically range from a problem of size 1 to 4 bits. In this case,
you need to judiciously determine this level so that it makes sense for the current problem. 50
(d) The schematic of the final design for an (8, 3) shifter, clearly identifying whichever of the following
are there in your design: the leaf function, the stitch-up functions, the subproblem dependencies.
The schematic should also show the smallest basic blocks of input size _ 4 (see
5
the next item for the definition) that the stitch-up and leaf blocks may be composed of. The
structure of the circuit should be complete and clearly understandable. Show the critical path of
your design in the schematic. 75
(e) Determine the delay of this circuit as a function of n, assuming that the delay of some welldefined
basic function(s)/block(s) with a small constant number of inputs (i.e., whose number of
inputs is not a function of n) that you use is 1 unit. Identify all your basic blocks. 50
(f) Analyze the hardware cost of your designs in terms of the number of the aforementioned welldefined
basic function blocks (each with a constant number of, say, _ 4, inputs), i.e., assuming
the cost of each such basic block is 1 unit. 50
Total 300
Hint: Perform the D&C of the design by breaking up the bits representing the shift amount m.