XPM_CDC_GRAY - XPM_CDC_GRAY - 2026.1 English - Parameterized Macro: Synchronizer via Gray Encoding

Parameterized Macro: Synchronizer via Gray Encoding

MACRO_GROUP: XPM
MACRO_SUBGROUP: XPM_CDC

Introduction

This macro synchronizes a binary input from the source clock domain to the destination clock domain using Gray code. For proper operation, the destination clock must sample the input data two or more times.

This module takes the input binary signal, translates it into Gray code and registers it, synchronizes it to the destination clock domain, and then translates it back to a binary signal. You define the number of register stages used in the synchronizers. You can also enable a simulation feature to generate messages to report any potential misuse of the macro.

Because this macro uses Gray encoding, the binary value provided to the macro must only increment or decrement by one to ensure that the signal being synchronized has two successive values that only differ by one bit. This ensures lossless synchronization of a Gray-coded bus. If the behavior of the binary value is not compatible to Gray encoding, use the XPM_CDC_HANDSHAKE macro or an alternate method of synchronizing the data to the destination clock domain.

An additional option (SIM_LOSSLESS_GRAY_CHK) reports an error message when any binary input values violate the Gray coding rule where two successive values only increment or decrement by one.

Note: When using the XPM_CDC_GRAY module in a design and you run report_cdc, the synchronizer in this module reports a warning of type CDC-6, Multi-bit synchronized with ASYNC_REG property. This warning is safe to ignore because the bus that is synchronized is gray-coded. Starting in 2018.3, a CDC-6 waiver in the Tcl constraint file suppresses this warning.

Run report_cdc to make sure the CDC structure is identified and that no critical warnings are generated, and also verify that dest_clk can sample src_in_bin[n:0] two or more times.

Port Descriptions

Port	Direction	Width	Domain	Sense	Handling if Unused	Function
dest_clk	Input	1	NA	EDGE_RISING	Active	Destination clock.
dest_out_bin	Output	WIDTH	dest_clk	NA	Active	Binary input bus (src_in_bin) synchronized to the destination clock domain. This output uses combinatorial logic unless you set REG_OUTPUT to 1.
src_clk	Input	1	NA	EDGE_RISING	Active	Source clock.
src_in_bin	Input	WIDTH	src_clk	NA	Active	Binary input bus that synchronizes to the destination clock domain.

Design Entry Method

Instantiation	Yes
Inference	No
IP and IP Integrator Catalog	No

Available Attributes

Attribute	Type	Allowed Values	Default	Description
DEST_SYNC_FF	DECIMAL	2 to 10	4	This parameter sets the number of register stages that synchronize the signal in the destination clock domain.
INIT_SYNC_FF	DECIMAL	0, 1	0	0: Disable behavioral simulation initialization values on synchronization registers. 1: Enable behavioral simulation initialization values on synchronization registers.
REG_OUTPUT	DECIMAL	0, 1	0	0: Disable registered output 1: Enable registered output
SIM_ASSERT_CHK	DECIMAL	0, 1	0	0: Disable simulation message reporting. This does not report messages related to potential misuse. 1: Enable simulation message reporting. This reports messages related to potential misuse.
SIM_LOSSLESS_GRAY_CHK	DECIMAL	0, 1	0	0: Disable simulation message that reports whether src_in_bin is incrementing or decrementing by one, guaranteeing lossless synchronization of a Gray coded bus. 1: Enable simulation message that reports whether src_in_bin is incrementing or decrementing by one, guaranteeing lossless synchronization of a Gray coded bus.
WIDTH	DECIMAL	2 to 32	2	Width of binary input bus that synchronizes to the destination clock domain.

VHDL Instantiation Template

Unless they already exist, copy the following two statements and paste them before the entity declaration.

Library xpm;
use xpm.vcomponents.all;


-- xpm_cdc_gray: Synchronizer via Gray Encoding
-- Xilinx Parameterized Macro, version 2026.1

xpm_cdc_gray_inst : xpm_cdc_gray
generic map (
   DEST_SYNC_FF => 4,          -- DECIMAL; range: 2-10
   INIT_SYNC_FF => 0,          -- DECIMAL; 0=disable simulation init values, 1=enable simulation init values
   REG_OUTPUT => 0,            -- DECIMAL; 0=disable registered output, 1=enable registered output
   SIM_ASSERT_CHK => 0,        -- DECIMAL; 0=disable simulation messages, 1=enable simulation messages
   SIM_LOSSLESS_GRAY_CHK => 0, -- DECIMAL; 0=disable lossless check, 1=enable lossless check
   WIDTH => 2                  -- DECIMAL; range: 2-32
)
port map (
   src_clk => src_clk, -- 1-bit input: Source clock.
   src_in_bin => src_in_bin, -- WIDTH-bit input: Binary input bus that synchronizes to the destination clock domain.
   dest_clk => dest_clk, -- 1-bit input: Destination clock.
   dest_out_bin => dest_out_bin -- WIDTH-bit output: Binary input bus (src_in_bin) synchronized to the destination clock domain. This output uses
                                 -- combinatorial logic unless you set REG_OUTPUT to 1.

);

-- End of xpm_cdc_gray_inst instantiation

Verilog Instantiation Template


// xpm_cdc_gray: Synchronizer via Gray Encoding
// Xilinx Parameterized Macro, version 2026.1

xpm_cdc_gray #(
   .DEST_SYNC_FF(4),          // DECIMAL; range: 2-10
   .INIT_SYNC_FF(0),          // DECIMAL; 0=disable simulation init values, 1=enable simulation init values
   .REG_OUTPUT(0),            // DECIMAL; 0=disable registered output, 1=enable registered output
   .SIM_ASSERT_CHK(0),        // DECIMAL; 0=disable simulation messages, 1=enable simulation messages
   .SIM_LOSSLESS_GRAY_CHK(0), // DECIMAL; 0=disable lossless check, 1=enable lossless check
   .WIDTH(2)                  // DECIMAL; range: 2-32
)
xpm_cdc_gray_inst (
   .src_clk(src_clk), // 1-bit input: Source clock.
   .src_in_bin(src_in_bin), // WIDTH-bit input: Binary input bus that synchronizes to the destination clock domain.
   .dest_clk(dest_clk), // 1-bit input: Destination clock.
   .dest_out_bin(dest_out_bin) // WIDTH-bit output: Binary input bus (src_in_bin) synchronized to the destination clock domain. This output uses
                                // combinatorial logic unless you set REG_OUTPUT to 1.

);

// End of xpm_cdc_gray_inst instantiation

Related Information

XPM CDC Testbench File (xpm-cdc-testbench.zip)

XPM_CDC_GRAY - XPM_CDC_GRAY - 2026.1 English - Parameterized Macro: Synchronizer via Gray Encoding - UG1353