A device communicates with a host and includes a transmitter, a receiver and a clock generator that generates a signal having a local clock frequency. A clock recovery circuit communicates with the receiver and recovers a host clock frequency from data received from the host by the receiver. A frequency offset circuit communicates with the clock recovery circuit and the clock generator and generates a frequency offset based on the clock frequency and the recovered host clock frequency. A frequency compensator compensates a frequency of the transmitter using the frequency offset. The host and the device may communicate using a serial ATA standard. Frequency compensation can be performed during spread spectrum operation.