A circuit to synchronize with a data transmission includes a comparator to read a set of data within a serialized data transmission, compare the set of data to a predetermined data pattern and output a comparison result. For a serialized data transmission, the comparator receives the serialized transmission and a shift register serially coupled to the comparator to hold the data pattern. A synchronization detector receives a comparison hit vector based on the comparison result from the comparator and aligns a boundary of a data frame according to the comparison hit vector if the comparison hit vector indicates a match between the data pattern in the set of data and the predetermined data pattern. For a deserialized data transmission, each stage of a multistage shift register read a set of data from the deserialized data transmission and selectively outputs the set of data to a comparator which compares each set to a predetermined data pattern and output a comparison result. A synchronization detector receives the comparison result from the comparator and aligns a boundary of a data frame according to the comparison result if the comparison result indicates a match between a data pattern sub-set within a combined data pattern and the predetermined data pattern, where the sets of deserialized data comprise the combined data pattern.