Atm inverse multiplexing system

Abstract

A method of reducing error-multiplication due to error events in a cell stream transmitted as a plurality of cell sub-streams which includes the steps of receiving an incoming cell stream in the form of an ordered sequence of cells including payload cells, transmitting the incoming cell stream in a round robin fashion on a plurality of physical links such that the ordered sequence of cells is transmitted as a plurality of cell sub-streams, with each cell sub-stream having a multiplexed set of cells from the incoming cell stream, and inserting stuff (st) cells into the cell sub-streams so as to form continuous streams of data. Sequence number cells which are inserted periodically into each cell sub-stream, are used to align the cell sub-streams in frames. Sets of cell location information for the cell sub-streams are encoded and contain the location of payload cells and st cells located within a corresponding cell sub-stream. The sets of cell location information are passed on to a receiving end where they are re-constructed at the receiving end. A sequence of the ordered sequence of cells from the cell sub-streams is re-constructed including decoding the sets of cell location information to identify and locate errored cells and missing cells within the cell sub-streams and demultiplexing and releasing error-free payload cells from the cell sub-streams.