GALS-SA: Synchronous-asynchronous configurable platform

The paper presents a new class of hybrid circuits named GALS-SA (Globally Asynchronous Locally Synchronous - Structured ASIC) that incorporates the advantages of GALS (Globally Asynchronous Locally Synchronous) architecture together with the ones of structured ASIC platforms. Specialized modules are developed to implement asynchronous communication channel between synchronous modules. Dedicated test modules are added to the new hybrid structure to ensure the newly added resources can be tested. The structure is designed to ensure that already existent synchronous implementation flow can be applied with very few specific, nonstandard steps to implement a fully synchronous design as a GALS design.