Abstract: A zero stripper (10) accepts individual bit sequences marked off by a break codes in a bit stream, deletes any leading “0” bits from such bit sequences so as to form a zero-stripped datum segment, counts the number of bits in each resultant datum segment, and then concatenates each such datum segment with the bit count of that datum segment into the code form nnnndddddd . . . , where the “n's” are the bit count and the “d's”are the successive bits. Substantial bit space in transmission in thus saved. A “type code” “tt” can also be added if defined in the original data. The zero-stripped data can be reconstituted at the receiving end if needed, i.e., if the receiving device accepts only fixed length bytes. Also included are new and simple arithmetic routines.

Abstract: An apparatus accepts randomly arriving blacks of parallel digital data of varying bit lengths termed datum segments that may have been generated by stripping leading zeros from bytes of a fixed size, each having associated therewith a bit count code that expresses the bit length of each datum segment in the form nnnnndddd . . . , the “n” being the bits of the bit count code in such number as to encompass the memory capacity of a receiving device to which the datum segments are to be sent, and the “d” representing the actual datum segment bits. The apparatus concatenates the nnnnndddd . . . expressions to form a continuous bit sequence that is saved so that each nnnnndddd . . . expression is accessible thereafter through the computer address therefor, such use preferably being by a circuit of matching bit length, the format, however, allowing the original form of the data to be recovered if desired.

Abstract: A digital concatenator, the operation of which is triggered by the sequential arrival of a series of n-bit bytes thereto, accepts such sequential n-bit bytes and, by directing those n-bit bytes into sequentially identified n-bit channels, concatenates those n-bit bytes into (n×m)-sized words, where m is a pre-selected integral number of said n-bit bytes that are desired to be concatenated with an (n×m)-sized output buffer into a resultant sequence of (n×m)-sized words. The sequential identification of those n-bit bytes is brought about by a cyclical counter incorporated within a data enumerator that counts off the arrival of each n-bit byte and appends a corresponding position bit or byte to each one thereof. Each successive reading of the output of the concatenator is triggered by the arrival at that output buffer through an mth channel of an mth n-bit byte. The concatenator similarly operates on single bits so as to serve as a serial to parallel converter of arbitrarily selectable size.