Abstract: The invention provides a novel scheme to match the clock rates along a single transmission channel. The rate matching aspect of this invention receives a character stream synchronized by a first clock and buffers the character streams. Buffered characters are then transmitted over an output channel synchronized by a second clock. The rate matching system removes one or more filler or removable characters from the output channel if an overflow condition is detected and inserts one or more filler or removable characters in the output channel if an underflow condition is detected.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel scheme to align data streams across multiple transmission channels and match multiple transmissions with one receiving rate. The channel aligning aspect of this invention detects the occurrence of an aligning character in a plurality of input channel character streams, buffers the character stream until an aligning character has been detected on every input channel. The channel aligning system transmits filler characters over every output channel corresponding to an input channel where an aligning character has been received if an aligning character has not been detected on every input channel. The aligning system then synchronously transmits the buffered characters, starting with the aligning character and proceeding with the subsequently received characters. The rate matching aspect of this invention receives a plurality of character streams synchronized by a first clock and buffers the character streams.