Abstract: An improvement to a Reed Solomon (RS) coding scheme wherein the RS encoder and decoder is initiated based upon counting a number of timing, baud, or byte cycles from a known time stamp. The time stamp can be for example, a Tomlinson coefficient exchange frame whereby at the end of a Tomlinson coefficient exchange frame, a counter in both transmitter and receiver is actuated to begin counting a number of baud cycles. Alternatively, the counter may be initiated upon the receipt of a particular byte. Once the appropriate number of baud cycles or bytes have elapsed, the RS encoder and decoder will begin operation, thus ensuring that both RS encoding and decoding occur at the proper time, without the use of any additional framing bits.