Threshold network synthesis and optimization and its application to nanotechnologies

We propose an algorithm for efficient threshold network synthesis of arbitrary multioutput Boolean functions. Many nanotechnologies, such as resonant tunneling diodes, quantum cellular automata, and single electron tunneling, are capable of implementing threshold logic efficiently. The main purpose of this work is to bridge the current wide gap between research on nanoscale devices and research on synthesis methodologies for generating optimized networks utilizing these devices. While functionally-correct threshold gates and circuits based on nanotechnologies have been successfully demonstrated, there exists no methodology or design automation tool for general multilevel threshold network synthesis. We have built the first such tool, threshold logic synthesizer (TELS), on top of an existing Boolean logic synthesis tool. Experiments with 56 multioutput benchmarks indicate that, compared to traditional logic synthesis, up to 80.0% and 70.6% reduction in gate count and interconnect count, respectively, is possible with the average being 22.7% and 12.6%, respectively. Furthermore, the synthesized networks are well-balanced structurally. The novelty of this work lies in the introduction of the first comprehensive synthesis methodology and tool for general multilevel threshold logic design.