Data synchronization in optical networks and devices

An apparatus comprising:

• a receiver operable to receive an optical signal including data frames that include symbols, the receiver comprising:
• a local oscillator laser that is operable to supply a local oscillator signal;
• an optical hybrid circuit operable to receive polarization components of the optical signal and the local oscillator signal, and to supply mixing products;
• a photodiode circuit operable to receive the mixing products and output an electrical signal based on the optical signal;
• and
• processor circuitry operable to:
• receive the electrical signal that includes information indicative of the symbols in the data frames;
• determine estimated positions of framer indices in the data frames;
• for one or more of the data frames, determine whether an estimated position of a framer index in the data frame is within a threshold distance of a determined position of the framer indices in the data frames;
• determine a ratio of a number of frames that have the estimated position within the determined position of the framer indices in the data frames to a total number of the one or more of the data frames;
• determine whether the ratio satisfies a ratio threshold;
• and
• in response to determining that the ratio satisfies the ratio threshold, generate a lock indicator signal indicating that the estimated positions of the framer indices in the data frames is reliable.

An apparatus comprising:

• an receiver circuit operable to receive data frames;
• and
• a processor circuitry coupled to the receiver circuit and operable to:
• estimate framer indices associated with the data frames;
• generate a lock signal based on the estimated framer indices, the lock signal indicating that the estimated framer indices associated with the data frames is reliable;
• and
• synchronize processing of received data in response to generating the lock signal,
• wherein to generate the lock signal based on the estimated framer indices, the processor circuitry is operable to:
• for one or more of the data frames, determine whether an estimated position of a framer index in the data frame is within a threshold distance of a determined position of the framer indices in the data frames;
• determine a ratio of a number of frames that have the estimated position within the determined position of the framer indices in the data frames to a total number of the one or more of the data frames;
• determine whether the ratio satisfies a ratio threshold;
• and
• in response to determining that the ratio satisfies the ratio threshold, generate the lock signal.