Thanks, but it fails to explain how the two independent clocks can be synchronous according to claim 8. Actually AD's declaration just adds to the confusion.

<Prior to the invention of the '336 patent, the system clock would have to be synchronous with the slower input/output clock, slowing all operations of the microprocessor. The '336 patent teaches a technique to "decouple" the slower input/output clock from the system clock, allowing them to run independently and therefore for the system clock to run faster.>

I assume AD's use of the term synchronous in his declaration means communicating at the same frequency. Use of the term in claim 8 obviously does not mean the same thing, otherwise why decouple the process? and so synchronous in claim 8 means something different than frequency. Hence, the confusion and hence the meaning suggested in my original post. Opty