Lecture, four hours; outside study, eight hours. Requisites: courses 215A, M216A. Analysis and design of circuits for synchronization and communication for VLSI systems. Use of both digital and analog design techniques to improve data rate of electronics between functional blocks, chips, and systems. Advanced clocking methodologies, phase-locked loop design for clock generation, and high-performance wire-line transmitters, receivers, and timing recovery circuits. Letter grading.