Clock Domain Crossing (CDC) & FIFO Design

Mastering Clock Domain Crossing: Synchronization & Async FIFO Design)

Designing robust digital systems requires integrating modules that operate on independent clocks. This fundamental challenge, known as Clock Domain Crossing (CDC), introduces severe risks: metastability, data incoherence, and data loss. These are not just bugs—they are intermittent, hardware-dependent failures that can cripple a product. This course provides the definitive, hands-on guide to architecting reliable CDC solutions.

Moving beyond theoretical overviews, we employ a direct Problem-Solution-Implementation methodology. For each core problem, you will first understand its root cause, then learn the standard industry technique to solve it, and finally implement it yourself in Verilog. You will progress from basic Bit and Bus Synchronizers to the cornerstone of advanced CDC: the Asynchronous FIFO.

This is a project-centric engineering course. You will write synthesizable Verilog for a Bit Synchronizer, tackle the critical engineering task of FIFO depth calculation with practical examples, and reason through the architectural challenges of building a correct FIFO. By the end, you will have the skills to design, implement, and verify the synchronization schemes essential for professional FPGA, ASIC, and SoC design.
What will students learn in your course?

• Diagnose the three fundamental hazards of Clock Domain Crossing: Metastability, Data Incoherence, and Data Loss.

• Design and implement standard synchronization solutions: Bit Synchronizers, Bus Synchronizers, and Reset Synchronizers.

• Architect and analyze Asynchronous FIFOs, the standard solution for safe, high-throughput data transfer between clock domains.

• Perform the critical engineering task of calculating the required depth of an FIFO for a given data rate and burst profile.

• Write industry-standard Verilog RTL for synchronization structures and verify their functionality.