Abstract: There is disclosed a digital communication system which utilizes software control through a universal synchronous/asynchronous receiver transmitter for providing improved communications performance in a digital frequency hopping communication system. The USART, under the control of a microprocessor and coupled to operate with a bit sync tracking circuit, is able to achieve synchronization and message processing of a demodulated digital signal during a receiving mode in a frequency hopping system, and initiate transmission and modulation on the pseudorandom hopping frequencies of the communication system. The USART functions as a data input/output device and may be multiplexed to handle the differing data rate for user and frame/burst data for transmission.