A closed-loop solution is a safer and more robust approach for Clock Domain Crossing (CDC) synchronization compared to the open-loop method.

In this design:

  1. An enabling control signal is sent from the source (sending) clock domain.
  2. The control signal is synchronized into the destination (receiving) clock domain.
  3. Once recognized, an acknowledgment (ACK) signal is generated in the destination domain.
  4. The ACK signal is then synchronized back through another synchronizer into the sending domain, confirming that the signal was successfully received.

This creates a feedback loop between the two clock domains.


🔄 Signal Flow Overview

Signal with feedback to acknowledge receipt.jpg


✅ Advantages


⚠️ Disadvantages


🧩 Summary

Aspect Closed-Loop Solution
Speed Slower (due to acknowledgment delay)
Reliability Very high
Design Type Feedback-based
Use Case When timing relationships are unknown or vary
Best Practice Ideal for asynchronous or variable-frequency systems