Apparatus and method for adaptive forward error correction in data communications

A method for adaptive forward error correction in a data communications system, the data communications system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of communications channels, the method comprising:

• (a) transmitting encoded data over a first communications channel of the plurality of communications channels to form transmitted encoded data, the transmitted encoded data having a current degree of forward error correction of a plurality of degrees of forward error correction;
• (b) monitoring a second communications channel of the plurality of communications channels for a forward error correction revision parameter;
• (c) determining whether the forward error correction revision parameter indicates a revised degree of forward error correction of the plurality of degrees of forward error correction;
• (d) transmitting encoded data having the current degree of forward error correction when the forward error correction revision parameter does not indicate the revised degree of forward error correction;
• and
• (e) transmitting encoded data having the revised degree of forward error correction when the forward error correction revision parameter indicates the revised degree of forward error correction.

An apparatus for adaptive forward error correction in a data communications system, the data communications system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of communications channels, the apparatus comprising:

• a channel interface coupleable to the communications medium for transmission of encoded data on a first communications channel of the plurality of communications channels to form transmitted encoded data and for reception of encoded data on a second communications channel of the plurality of communications channels to form received encoded data, the received encoded data having a first degree of forward error correction of a plurality of degrees of forward error correction;
• and
• a processor arrangement coupled to the channel interface, the processor arrangement responsive through a set of program instructions to monitor a channel parameter of the second communications channel to form a monitored parameter;
• the processor arrangement further responsive to compare the monitored parameter with a threshold level of the channel parameter and, when the monitored parameter is not within a variance of the threshold level, the processor arrangement is further responsive to select a second degree of forward error correction of the plurality of degrees of forward error correction and to transmit via the channel interface a forward error correction revision parameter on the first communications channel, the forward error correction revision parameter corresponding to the second degree of forward error correction.

An apparatus for adaptive forward error correction in a data communications system, the data communications system having a communications medium, the communications medium having a plurality of communications channels, the apparatus comprising:

• a channel interface coupleable to the communications medium for transmission of encoded data on a first communications channel of the plurality of communications channels to form transmitted encoded data and for reception of encoded data on a second communications channel of the plurality of communications channels to form received encoded data;
• and
• a processor arrangement coupled to the channel interface, the processor arrangement responsive through a set of program instructions to set the transmitted encoded data to a current degree of forward error correction of a plurality of degrees of forward error correction, the processor arrangement further responsive to monitor the second communications channel for reception of a forward error correction revision parameter and to determine whether the forward error correction revision parameter indicates a revised degree of forward error correction of the plurality of degrees of forward error correction;
• the processor arrangement further responsive to transmit encoded data having the current degree of forward error correction when the forward error correction revision parameter does not indicate the revised degree of forward error correction and to transmit encoded data having the revised degree of forward error correction when the forward error correction revision parameter indicates the revised degree of forward error correction.