Parallel distributed-time logic simulation

The Chandy-Misra algorithm offers more parallelism than the standard event-driven algorithm for digital logic simulation. With suitable enhancements, the Chandy-Misra algorithm also offers significantly better parallel performance. The authors present methods to optimize the algorithm using information about the large number of global synchronization points, called deadlocks, that limit performance. They classify deadlocks and describe them in terms of circuit structure. The proposed methods that use domain-specific knowledge to avoid deadlocks and present a way to reduce greatly the time it takes to resolve a deadlock. For one benchmark circuit, the authors eliminated all deadlocks using their techniques and increased the average number of logic elements available for concurrent execution from 45 to 160. Simulation results for a 60-processor machine show that the Chandy-Misra algorithm outperforms the event-driven algorithm by a factor of 2 to 15.<>