A neural network includes an electronic synapse array of multiple digital synapses interconnecting a plurality of digital electronic neurons. Each synapse interconnects an axon of a pre-synaptic neuron with a dendrite of a post-synaptic neuron. Each neuron integrates input spikes and generates a spike event in response to the integrated input spikes exceeding a threshold. A decoder receives spike events sequentially and transmits the spike events to selected axons in the synapse array. An encoder transmits spike events corresponding to spiking neurons. A controller coordinates events from the synapse array to the neurons, and signals when neurons may compute their spike events within each time step, ensuring one-to-one correspondence with an equivalent software model. The synapse array includes an interconnecting crossbar that sequentially receives spike events from axons, wherein one axon at a time drives the crossbar, and the crossbar transmits synaptic events in parallel to multiple neurons.