A low-latency FIFO for mixed-clock systems

Abstract

This paper presents a low-latency FIFO design that interfaces subsystems on a chip working at different speeds. First, a single-clock domain design is introduced, which is then used as a basis for a mixed-clock version. Finally, the design is adapted to work between subsystems with very long interconnection delays. The designs can be made arbitrarily robust with regard to metastability and clock frequencies.