An apparatus for performing error correction and processing of data in a data transmission system, comprising:
- a. a data signal, wherein said data signal is comprised of a plurality of fixed-length blocks of data, wherein each of said plurality of fixed-length blocks of data is comprised of payload data, realignment data, and error-correction data;
- b. a first buffer to store said payload data of said plurality of fixed-length blocks of data, wherein said first buffer is comprised of a plurality of pages, wherein each of said plurality of pages can store said payload data of one of said plurality of fixed-length blocks of data;
- c. a second buffer to store said realignment data of one of said plurality of fixed-length blocks of data;
- d. a first logic element to perform an error-correction calculation, wherein said first logic element performs said error-correction calculation upon said payload data, said realignment data, and said error-correction data of one of said plurality of fixed-length blocks of data, whereby a result is obtained from said error-correction calculation;
- e. a lookup table, wherein said lookup table comprises a syndrome pattern, and wherein said syndrome pattern will be subject to a comparison against said result from said error-correction calculation, whereby discrepancies between said syndrome pattern and said result indicate the location of bit errors in one of said plurality of fixed-length blocks of data;
- f. a second logic element, wherein each byte of said payload data of one of said fixed-length blocks of data is written to said second logic element from said first buffer, and wherein said payload data is corrected for bit errors in said second logic element according to said comparison between said result of said error-correction calculation and said syndrome pattern;
- g. a third logic element, wherein said payload data is written to said third logic element from said second logic element after said payload data has been corrected for bit errors, whereby said payload data is realigned according to said realignment data of one of said fixed-length blocks of data in said second buffer.