Setup time and hold time

Setup time and hold time Clock edge Clock Data Old data Next data Setup time tsu Hold time th Data must not change in this window Setup violation: data arrives too late Hold violation: data changes too early

For a flip-flop to capture data correctly, there is a window around the clock edge during which the data must not change. The time required before the edge is the setup time, and the time required after the edge is the hold time.

A setup violation happens when data arrives too late to meet the setup time; it can be fixed by slowing down the clock. A hold violation happens when the data changes to the next value too early to meet the hold time; lowering the clock frequency does not fix it, so it is corrected by adding delay.

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  1. Which correctly describes the setup time of a flip-flop?
  2. Which correctly describes the hold time of a flip-flop?

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