Hi @imxrt1062_1172_user ,
Thanks for your questions and info!
The watermark is set to trigger an interrupt or DMA to process the data in the FIFO when the watermark is reached. It is to prevent FIFO overflow and provide flexibility. When your watermark is 8 words and the frame size is 9 words, please make sure that the data is processed in time in ISR to prevent overflow. The SDK example evkmimxrt1170_lpspi_interrupt_b2b_transfer_slave_cm7 is a good reference.
Best regards,
Gavin