Patent · US Expired

Zero latency synchronized method and apparatus for system having at least two clock domains

US5548620A · kind A · utility

41Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 20, 1994
Grant dateAug 20, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 20, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L7/0012
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for implementing a zero latency synchronizer that permits the reliable transfer of data between clock domains by placing a metastability delay in the clock path. The zero latency synchronizer for synchronizing a signal from a first clock domain to a second clock domain is formed from a clock regenerator circuit and input and output master slave flip flops. The clock regenerator receives a first clock from the first clock domain and a second clock from the second clock domain and generates first and second regenerated clock signals. The first and second regenerated clock signals are formed in a manner that guarantees that the first and second regenerated clocks, in conjunction with the first and second clocks, can be used to control the input and output master slave flip flops and thereby pass data reliably from one clock domain to the other without delay. The master and the slave of the input flip flop are controlled respectively by the first clock domain clock and by the first regenerated clock. In turn, the master and slave of the output flip flop are respectively controlled by the second regenerated clock and by the second clock domain clock. A signal to b…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.