Abstract: A method for signal degradation alarm detection in a digital microwave system, includes the steps of: summing code violation values from cells of a given buffer except for one of the cells currently indicated in the given buffer to calculate a code violation sum value of a corresponding provision, and setting a code violation limit value to a previously defined value; comparing the code violation sum value with the code violation limit value; setting a signal degradation alarm flag to detect an alarm when the code violation sum value is greater than or equal to the code violation limit value; adding the code violation sum value to a next code violation sum value of a lower buffer to obtain a new code violation sum value when the code violation sum value is less than the code violation limit value; setting the signal degradation alarm flag to detect the alarm when the new code violation sum value is greater than or equal to the code violation limit value; and ending performance of the method without setting th