Contamination delay
Encyclopedia
In digital circuit
s, the contamination delay is the minimum amount of time needed for the output of an electronic component's output to match input presented to it(i.e. contamination delay = hold time + device internal I/O propagation time). If there is insufficient delay from the output of one flip-flop
to the input of the next, the input may change before the hold time has passed. Because the second flip-flop is still unstable, its data would then be "contaminated." Every path from an input to an output can be characterized with a particular contamination delay.
Well-balanced circuits will have similar speeds for all paths through a combinational stage, so the minimum propagation time is close to the maximum. This corresponding maximum time is the propagation delay
. The condition of data being contaminated is called a race
.
References:
1. http://www.nileshgoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/timing-note.pdf
Digital circuit
Digital electronics represent signals by discrete bands of analog levels, rather than by a continuous range. All levels within a band represent the same signal state...
s, the contamination delay is the minimum amount of time needed for the output of an electronic component's output to match input presented to it(i.e. contamination delay = hold time + device internal I/O propagation time). If there is insufficient delay from the output of one flip-flop
Flip-flop (electronics)
In electronics, a flip-flop or latch is a circuit that has two stable states and can be used to store state information. The circuit can be made to change state by signals applied to one or more control inputs and will have one or two outputs. It is the basic storage element in sequential logic...
to the input of the next, the input may change before the hold time has passed. Because the second flip-flop is still unstable, its data would then be "contaminated." Every path from an input to an output can be characterized with a particular contamination delay.
Well-balanced circuits will have similar speeds for all paths through a combinational stage, so the minimum propagation time is close to the maximum. This corresponding maximum time is the propagation delay
Propagation delay
Propagation delay is a technical term that can have a different meaning depending on the context. It can relate to networking, electronics or physics...
. The condition of data being contaminated is called a race
Race condition
A race condition or race hazard is a flaw in an electronic system or process whereby the output or result of the process is unexpectedly and critically dependent on the sequence or timing of other events...
.
References:
1. http://www.nileshgoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/timing-note.pdf