Abstract: A method and an equipment for providing elastic buffering in a synchronous digital telecommunication system, such as the SDH or SONET system. In order to allow elastic buffering with less hardware than previously and a more efficient use of RAM memory blocks than previously in the process, the elastic buffering of at least two signals of the same level of hierarchy is performed on a time-division basis in a buffer memory common to the signals.

Abstract: A method for disassembling or assembling a frame structure used in a synchronous digital data communication system, such as the SDH or SONET system. In order to enable the disassembly or assembly of frame structures with less hardware than previously, and to allow a more efficient use of RAM memory blocks in such processes, the interpretation and generation process of the pointers of at least two signals on the same level of hierarchy is carried out at least at one processing stage on a time-division basis in a unit common to the signals.

Abstract: A method and an equipment for monitoring the fill rate of an elastic buffer memory used in a synchronous digital telecommunication system, such as the SDH or SONET system. To enable the monitoring of the fill rate of the channels with less hardware than previously, the fill rate of at least two channels of the same level of hierarchy is monitored on a time-division basis in a monitoring unit common to the channels.

Abstract: A method for receiving a signal used in a synchronous digital telecommunication system including a pointer interpretation in which the receiver has three possible main states (NORM, AIS, LOP), between which it undergoes transitions under the control of event counters. In order for fault tolerance to be improved and correction of error situations to be expedited, in the normal state (i) all the events in which the value "normal" (NDF.sub.-- disabled) of the new data flag is received, and the majority of the I-bits is inverted, and the majority of the D-bits is not inverted are regarded as increment data, and (ii) all the events in which the value "normal" (NDF.sub.-- disabled) of the new data flag is received, and the majority of the D-bits is inverted, and the majority of the I-bits is not inverted are regarded as decrement data, wherein the value "normal" for the new data flag is considered to be "0110" and values differing therefrom within certain limits.