Abstract: Bit-transparent muxing of an input signal for transport through an optical communications network. A fixed length container of the optical communications network is defined, which includes an overhead and a payload. A stuffing ratio (?) is based on a line rate of the input signal and a data rate of the container. A number (NFS) of fixed stuffs is computed based on the stuffing ratio (?). The input signal and NFS fixed stuffs are inserted into the payload of the container, and the computed number NFS stored in the container's overhead. In some embodiments, the container is an overclocked OTU-3 (OTU3+) frame having a line rate of 44.6 Gb/s. This enables bit-transparent mux/demux of four nominal 10-Gig signals having line rates within a range of between 7.6 Gb/s and 10.4 Gb/s, or a single nominal 40-Gig signal having a line rate within a range of between 38.8 Gb/s and 41.6 Gb/s.

Abstract: Bit-transparent muxing of an input signal for transport through an optical communications network is disclosed. A stuffing ratio is based on a line rate of the input signal and a data rate of a fixed length container. A number (NFS) of fixed stuffs is computed based on the stuffing ratio. The input signal and NFS fixed stuffs are inserted into the payload of the container, and the computed number of NFS are stored in the container's overhead. In some embodiments, the container is an overclocked OTU-3 (OTU3+) frame having a line rate of 44.6 Gb/s. This enables bit-transparent mux/demux of four nominal 10 Gig signals having line rates within a range of between 7.6 Gb/s and 10.4 Gb/s, or a single nominal 40 Gig signal having a line rate within a range of between 38.8 Gb/s and 41.6 Gb/s.

Abstract: A high-speed Ethernet using Thin SONET technology as the physical layer carrier makes use the large embedded base of SONET equipment, and is a step forward in integrating WANs, MANs and LANs. The HS Ethernet also takes advantage or current SONET functionality, such as framing, scrambling, integrity, etc. FEC fields are provided in the TOH for achieving a high level of error correction. The HS Ethernet frame comprises a length-type field generated at the PCS sublayer and a HEC field generated at the PMA layer. The frames are routed within a network using the source address, the destination address and a label.

Abstract: Bit-transparent muxing of an input signal for transport through an optical communications network. A fixed length container of the optical communications network is defined, which includes an overhead and a payload. A stuffing ratio (?) is based based on a line rate of the input signal and a data rate of the container. A number (NFS) of fixed stuffs is computed based on the stuffing ratio (?). The input signal and NFS fixed stuffs are inserted into the payload of the container, and the computed number NFS stored in the container's overhead. In some embodiments, the container is an overclocked OTU-3 (OTU3+) frame having a line rate of 44.6 Gb/s. This enables bit-transparent mux/demux of four nominal 10-Gig signals having line rates within a range of between 7.6 Gb/s and 10.4 Gb/s, or a single nominal 40-Gig signal having a line rate within a range of between 38.8 Gb/s and 41.6 Gb/s.

Abstract: Bit-transparent muxing of an input signal for transport through an optical communications network is provided. A fixed length container of the optical communications network is defined, which includes an overhead and a payload. A stuffing ratio (?) is based on a line rate of the input signal and a data rate of the container. A number (NFS) of fixed stuffs is computed based on the stuffing ratio (?). The input signal and NFS fixed stuffs are inserted into the payload of the container, and the computed number NFS stored in the container's overhead.

Abstract: A system for performing Bit Interleaved Parity-8 (BIP-8) computation on large concatenated payloads, in a processing node of an optical communications networks. The BIP-8 computation system comprises storage means associated with each processing strip for allowing the comparison between calculated and transmitted frame error check values to be delayed.

Abstract: Bit-transparent muxing of an input signal for transport through an optical communications network. A fixed length container of the optical communications network is defined, which includes an overhead and a payload. A stuffing ratio (?) is based based on a line rate of the input signal and a data rate of the container. A number (NFS) of fixed stuffs is computed based on the stuffing ratio (?). The input signal and NFS fixed stuffs are inserted into the payload of the container, and the computed number NFS stored in the container's overhead. In some embodiments, the container is an overclocked OTU-3 (OTU3+) frame having a line rate of 44.6 Gb/s. This enables bit-transparent mux/demux of four nominal 10-Gig signals having line rates within a range of between 7.6 Gb/s and 10.4 Gb/s, or a single nominal 40-Gig signal having a line rate within a range of between 38.8 Gb/s and 41.6 Gb/s.

Abstract: A data processing equipment having an input to receive an input stream of data frames. The data frames contain a repeating trace message, each instance of the trace message being divided in fragments distributed over a series of data frames. The data processing equipment further includes a trace message processor receiving the repeating trace message in the input stream. The trace message processor performs a first action when the input stream carries less than N consecutive anomalous instances of the trace message and a second action different from the first action when the input stream carries N or more consecutive anomalous instances of the trace message.

Abstract: A synchronizer/de-synchronizer maps continuous format signals of an arbitrary rate into frames of pre-selected single common rate, such as SONET frames, with no bits changed and very little jitter or wander added. In this way, the continuous format signal may be carried transparently as a tributary of a SONET network. Each frame comprises a definite number of fixed stuff bits, including transport overhead bits and reminder fixed stuff bits. A frame also comprises an adjustable number of adaptive stuff bits, resulting from the phase difference between the arbitrary rate and the common rate. A mapping function is performed in a tributary unit shelf of a SONET transport shelf, and the reverse mapping function is performed in a similar way at the far end of a SONET connection. The stuff bits are spread uniformly within the frame.

Abstract: A serial data stream is mapped through a cross-connect via two or more parallel independent shelves. The serial data stream is split into at least two sub-streams. If the lead frame of a sub-stream contains a concatenation indicator, it is replaced by a valid payload pointer, and a spilt indicator is inserted into the frame. Each of the sub-streams is then mapped through the cross-connect via a respective parallel independent shelf. Finally, the sub-streams are recombined to form an output serial data stream equivalent to the original serial data stream. If the lead frame of a sub-stream contains a split indicator, a concatenation indicator is inserted into the corresponding frame of the output serial data stream to restore the concatenation of the original serial data stream. Otherwise, a payload pointer within the lead frame is replaced by a valid payload pointer in the corresponding frame of the output data stream.

Abstract: An OP-N connection is mapped through a communications network between first and second end-nodes via at least one intermediate node. The integrity and validity of the OP-N connection can be determined independently of SONET/SDH lines, sections or paths mapped through the network, and potentially utilizing bandwidth of the OP-N connection. Validation of the OP-N connection can be accomplished by inserting performance monitor (PM) information into a data signal at the first end-node. In some embodiments, the PM information is inserted into an unused portion of the transport overhead (TOH) of a SONET/SDH data signal. At each intermediate node between the first and second end-nodes, the PM information is extracted from the data signal, buffered while the data signal is pointer processed, and the reinserted before forwarding the data signal. Finally, a the second end-point, the PM information is extracted and examined.

Abstract: A signal processor is adapted for aligning two or more hyper-concatenated data streams, each data stream being conveyed within a respective parallel channel and having substantially equivalent bit and frame rates. The signal processor comprises a respective channel processor for each channel for processing a respective data stream. Each channel processor includes a framer, a memory, an interface, and an output timer. The framer generates a local strobe signal indicative of a timing of incoming frames of the respective data stream. The memory buffers incoming bits of the respective data stream. The interface selectively sends the local strobe signal to, and receives a master strobe signal from, an adjacent channel processor. The output timer controls a timing of outgoing bits of the respective data stream based on a selected one of the local and master strobe signals.

Abstract: A system for performing Bit Interleaved Parity-8 (BIP-8) computation on large concatenated payloads, in a processing node of an optical communications networks. The BIP-8 computation system comprises storage means associated with each processing strip for allowing the comparison between calculated and transmitted frame error check values to be delayed.

Abstract: Synchronization and desynchronization of a data signal transported in a synchronous frame across a synchronous communications network, such as SONET/SDH, reduces waiting-time jitter. A timing estimate (F) indicative of a relationship between a data rate (f1) of the data signal and a reference frequency (f2) of the synchronous communications network is calculated and communicated through the synchronous communications network, for example in the Synchronous Payload Envelope of a SONET frame. The data signal is recovered using a desynchronizer Phase-Locked Loop steered by the timing estimate (F). The timing estimate (F) can be any one or more of: a ratio between the data rate (f1) and the reference frequency (f2); a difference between the data rate (f1) and the reference frequency (f2); and a phase difference between a recovered data clock signal associated with the data rate (f1) and a reference clock signal associated with the reference frequency (f2).

Abstract: A data generator and a method for generating large concatenated SONET/SDH frame are provided. The method comprises initiating a set of programmable register values with frame parameters, generating data slices comprising a plurality of STS-1 blocks based on said frame parameters, and collecting the data slices to generate a frame. Whenever a large concatenation mode within said frame parameters assumes an ON state, the data slice generation includes, setting the pointer value to a predetermined fixed pointer value and generating payload bytes of every STS-1 block having a concatenation indication such that the B3 byte of the STS-1 block assumes a predetermined fixed B3 value. The data generator for generating SONET/SDH type data frames. The data generator comprises a plurality of processing strips for generating a plurality of associated data slices having STS-1 blocks.

Abstract: A concatenated signal carrying an arbitrary mix of concatenated data traffic is split and transported across a network between a start node and an end node through a hyper-concatenated connection set up through independent pointer processor state machines. At a start node, the concatenated optical signal is split into two or more hyper-concatenated data streams. If a split occurs at a frame within a concatenated signal, the start node replaces a concatenation indicator of the frame with a payload pointer from a first frame of the concatenated signal and inserts a split indicator in the SS bits of the frame overhead. At an end node, the hyper-concatenated data streams are recombined to recover the original concatenated signal. Frames containing split indicators are modified to remove the split indicator and to replace the payload pointer with a concatenation indicator.

Abstract: Multiple sub-streams are aharmonicaly interleaved into a high speed data signal by interleaving successive blocks of data from each sub-stream into the high-speed data signal using a predetermined interleaving pattern that is different for two consecutive sequences of N (an integer >2) blocks of data within the high-speed data signal. The resulting irregular distribution of bits of each sub-stream within the high speed data signal reduces the probability that error bursts due to low frequency noise will be localized in one or more of the recovered sub-stream extracted from the high speed data signal. This improved distribution of bit errors across the sub-streams reduces bit error rates in the most highly errored sub-streams, and thereby enables an increase in signal reach.

Abstract: An apparatus suitable for generating a signal for transmission over a link between two ICs is provided. The apparatus receives an input signal comprising payload data to be transmitted and processes the payload data in the input signal to derive forward error correction data. An output signal is generated, the output signal comprising the payload data received in the input signal and the generated forward error correction data. The output signal is released for transmission over the link between two ICs. The link between two ICs may include for example a backplane or a link between two ICs on a same circuit pack. The use of forward error correction data in a signal carried over a conducting medium suitable for carrying electrical signals is also provided.

Abstract: A system for performing Bit Interleaved Parity-8 (BIP-8) computation on large concatenated payloads, in a processing node of an optical communications networks. The BIP-8 computation system comprises storage means associated with each processing strip for allowing the comparison between calculated and transmitted frame error check values to be delayed.

Abstract: A system for performing pointer processing on large concatenated payloads, in a processing node of an optical communications networks. The system comprises a plurality of processing strips. Delay blocks are introduced between a pair of processing strips on the pointer interpreter and/or pointer generator sides of the processing strips, so that corresponding data is read on one of the pair of processing strips after a predetermined delay from a time moment when the data is read on the other of the pair of processing strips, in order to overcome timing constraints arising from the need to synchronize the processing of a concatenated payload across multiple strips. Inter-chip communication blocks are introduced in order to allow concatenated payloads to be processed on different chips.