Multiplexers with protection switching

A method for data communication, the method comprising:

• selecting between a first data stream and a second data stream to generate a third data stream, the first data stream comprises transcoded data;
• removing alignment markers from the third data stream;
• generating a fourth data stream by de-scrambling the third data stream;
• adjusting a rate associated with the fourth data stream;
• generating a fifth data stream;
• multiplexing between the fourth data stream and the fifth data stream to generate a sixth data stream;
• and
• scrambling the sixth data stream to generate a seventh data stream.

A method for operating a SerDes system comprising:

• an alignment buffer for storing a first data stream received from first plurality of data lanes at an alignment buffer by a first SerDes device;
• removing AMs from the first data stream to generate a first codeword stream;
• determining a first coding error amount associated with the first codeword stream;
• calculating a first figure of merit (FOM) value based the first coding error amount and/or output from a first forward error correction (FEC) module;
• calculating a second FOM value associated with a second codeword stream;
• and
• generating a third data stream by selecting between the first codeword stream and the second codeword stream based at least on a threshold value for the first FOM value and the second FOM value.