Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for translating signals between clock domains of different frequencies

US6112307A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
12References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 9, 1995
Grant dateAug 29, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 9, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L7/02
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A synchronizing circuit translates signals in a slow clock domain into a fast clock domain. The frequency of the slow clock is a submultiple of the fast clock frequency. A synchronizing pulse signal is developed at the frequency of the slow clock, but is phase synchronized to the fast clock. The synchronizing pulse signal is employed to gate the signal in the slow clock domain so that it is synchronized in the fast clock domain. In a system where the ratio between the fast clock frequency and slow clock frequency is determined by a frequency divisor signal, a snooping circuit is employed to capture the frequency divisor signal to achieve rapid synchronization between the clock domains.

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