Method and apparatus for interleaving an incoming stream of data blocks

Abstract

An apparatus is adapted for interleaving an incoming stream of data blocks, each of which has a predetermined number (N) of block units indexed consecutively from 0 to (N−1), The interleaving is accomplished at a predetermined interleaving depth (D). A first one of the block units has no delay associated therewith, and subsequent ones of the block units in a designated one of the data blocks have a delay equal to (D−1) more than an immediately preceding one of the block units in the designated one of the data blocks. The apparatus includes a data buffer configured to have a number of lines equal to (N−1), an output unit, and a control unit. Each of the lines has a size sufficient to accommodate a predetermined number of the block units. The output unit outputs one of the block units of the incoming stream directly when the delay associated therewith is equal to zero. When the delay associated with one of the block units of the incoming stream is not equal to zero, the control unit generates a reading index for reading one of the block units stored in the data buffer, controls the output unit to output the block unit read from the data buffer, generates a writing index, and stores the block unit of the incoming stream in the respective one of the lines of the data buffer in accordance with the writing index. A method for interleaving the same is also disclosed.