Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating between a plurality of asynchronous transmitting and receiving systems using digital streams arranged in multiple access frames comprises a master system, which cycles a counter using a clock reference to generate a master count, and uses the master count to establish a master frame count. A slave system cycles a counter using a clock reference to generate a main count, and uses the main count to establish a main frame count. From a difference between the master frame count and the main frame count of the slave system, a frame count offset value is determined. A slave frame count for the slave system is then established by adding the offset value to the main frame count, and thereby aligning the slave frame count of the slave system with the master frame count and incrementing the slave frame count when the main count is incremented.