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.