System for controlling data stream by changing fall through FIFO last cell state of first component whenever data read out of second component last latch

In an integrated circuit (IC) combination comprising a first self-timed IC component (STIC1) and a second self-timed IC component (STIC2) coupled to each other, a method for streaming data from said STIC1 to said STIC2, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) streaming data from said STIC1 to said STIC2 as long as a first storage cell of a first fall through FIFO counter having a predetermined first plurality of serially coupled storage cells disposed on said STIC1 can be changed into a set state from a clear state;
• b) as said data are being streamed from said STIC1 to said STIC2, temporarily and progressively storing said data being streamed from said STIC1 to said STIC2 in a predetermined plurality of serially coupled data latches disposed on said STIC2, said data being consecutively stored into a first data latch first and then successively rippled through said data latches towards a last data latch, the relative positions of said first and last data latches being statically determined;
• c) concurrent with said steps (a) and (b), consecutively changing said first storage cell into a set state from a clear state, rippling the set states from said first storage cell through said first series of storage cells towards a last storage cell, and changing the set states back into clear states upon rippling the set states to the immediate successor storage cell, the relative positions of said first and last storage cells being statically determined;
• d) concurrent with said steps (a) through (c), reading said data out of said last data latch in order, and coupling a first control signal from said STIC2 to said STIC1 whenever a data is read out of said last data latch;
• and
• e) concurrent with said steps (a) through (d), responsive to each of said first control signals, continually changing said last storage cell back into a clear state.

A computer system comprising:

• a first self-timed integrated circuit component (STIC1);
• a second self-timed integrated circuit component (STIC2) coupled to said STIC1;
• said STIC1 streaming data into said STIC2;
• said STIC2 comprising a predetermined plurality of serially coupled data latches coupled to said STIC1, including a first and a last data latch whose relative positions are statically determined, for temporarily and progressively storing said data being streamed from said STIC1, said data being consecutively received into said first data latch first, then successively rippled towards said last data latch, and finally read out of said last data latch in order;
• and
• said STIC1 comprising a fall through FIFO counter having a predetermined first plurality of serially coupled storage cell coupled to said STIC2, and corresponding to said data latches, including a first and a last storage cell whose relative positions are statically determined, for facilitating control of said streaming of data to said STIC2 by individually tracking said data until they are read out of said last data latch, said streaming of data being continued as long as said first storage cell can be changed into a set state from a clear state, the set states being successively rippled through said first series of storage cells towards said last storage cell, in like manner as said data are rippled through said data latches, and then changed back to clear states upon rippling to the immediate successor storage cells, and said last storage cell being changed back into a clear state responsive to a first control signal coupled from said STIC2 whenever a data is read out of said last data latch.