Patent ID: 8693607

Claim:
A self-timed timer characterized by an asynchronous state machine, comprising: a time measurement sequence comprising a plurality of states in the asynchronous state machine for measuring time in proportion to the number of executed state transitions during a specified time measurement period; at least one time measurement done state in the time measurement sequence for holding between time measurement periods; a time measurement mode such that in the time measurement mode the asynchronous state machine advances through the time measurement sequence and holds the asynchronous state machine in the at least one time measurement done state; and a time measurement duration select input operable to specify the duration of the time measurement period by selecting a segment of the time measurement sequence for execution; wherein each executed state transition counts as one time unit and the plurality of executed states in the specified time measurement period yields a plurality of time units such that the sum of the time units is equal to the time period of the specified time measurement period.