Abstract: The objects of the invention are a method for control of data flow in a packet data transmission and a device for control of data flow in a packet data transmission, both being applicable for example in systems of data transmission in formats used in digital television. The method according to the invention is based on the fact that to a data processing device, comprising a network of nodes in the form of input nodes (IN1-INn), output nodes (OUT1-OUTn) and intermediate nodes such as data processing nodes (PROC1-PROCn) or multiplexers (MUX1-MUXo), the nodes being connected as a free-defined structure, signals are supplied to input nodes (IN1-INn) and from the data packets retrieved from these nodes (IN1-INn) transmission units are created.

Abstract: Dataflow inside the system is based on requests for packets send from an E superior system element (120). A packet appearing at one of the inputs of the first or second multiplexers (105, 109) is sent to its output. In case there is no packet at a given input, information about the lack of a packet is sent instead. The reading of the packet from one of the inputs and sending it to the output is activated by a packet request command, sent to modules (110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117) connected to the given input. The requested packet, or information of its lack, is then awaited. Subsequently, a search for packets is conducted at the TV1, TV3 live signal inputs (101, 106), beginning with the input defined as the first in line. If no packet is found at the highest priority input, the search moves on to subsequent live signal inputs. If no packets are available at these inputs, the TV2 bitrate input (102) is checked, bypassing inputs with a coefficient of sending greater or equal to one.