Methods and apparatus for transmitting data in a public network

An apparatus for receiving a modulated sequence of data frames transmitted at a selected one of a plurality of framed data rates, comprising:

• demodulation circuitry for demodulating the modulated sequence of data frames thereby generating a demodulated sequence of data frames each having a first duration, the demodulated sequence of data frames corresponding to the selected framed data rate;
• framing circuitry designed to decompose a first sequence of data frames each having the first duration into a first data stream corresponding to a first data rate, the framing circuitry being programmed to receive and decompose the demodulated sequence of data frames into a second data stream corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of equivalent data rates, each of the equivalent and framed data rates being lower than the first data rate;
• first clock circuitry operable to provide any of a first plurality of clock signals to the framing circuitry, each of the first plurality of clock signals corresponding to one of the plurality of equivalent data rates;
• and
• second clock circuitry operable to provide any of a second plurality of clock signals to the demodulation circuitry, each of the second plurality of clock signals corresponding to one of the plurality of framed data rates.

A method for transmitting a data stream, comprising:

• receiving the data stream with framing circuitry designed to generate a first sequence of data frames each having a first duration, the first sequence of data frames corresponding to a first data rate;
• organizing the data stream with the framing circuitry and associated first clock circuitry into a second sequence of data frames each having the first duration, the second sequence of data frames corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of equivalent data rates and a selected one of a plurality of framed data rates, each of the equivalent and framed data rates being lower than the first data rate;
• modulating the second sequence of data frames using second clock circuitry;
• and
• transmitting the modulated second sequence of data frames at the selected framed data rate.

A method for receiving a modulated sequence of data frames transmitted at a selected one of a plurality of framed data rates, comprising:

• receiving the modulated sequence of data frames;
• demodulating the modulated sequence of data frames using first clock circuitry thereby generating a demodulated sequence of data frames each having a first duration, the demodulated sequence of data frames corresponding to the selected framed data rate;
• and
• decomposing the demodulated sequence of data frames into a decomposed data stream corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of equivalent data rates, the decomposing being achieved with second clock circuitry, and framing circuitry designed to decompose a first sequence of data frames each having the first duration into a first data stream corresponding to a first data rate, each of the equivalent and framed data rates being lower than the first data rate.

A method for organizing a first data stream into a first sequence of data frames comprising:

• receiving the first data stream with framing circuitry designed to generate a second sequence of data frames each having a first duration, the second sequence of data frames corresponding to a first data rate;
• and
• organizing the first data stream with the framing circuitry and associated clock circuitry into the first sequence of data frames each having the first duration, the first sequence of data frames corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of equivalent data rates, each of the equivalent data rates being lower than the first data rate,
• wherein the framing circuitry is designed to generate the second sequence of data frames corresponding to a high data rate digital subscriber line (HDSL) standard format and the first duration is 6 ms.

A method for decomposing a first sequence of data frames into a first data stream comprising:

• receiving the first sequence of data frames with framing circuitry designed to decompose a second sequence of data frames each having a first duration into a second data stream, the second data stream corresponding to a first data rate;
• and
• decomposing the first sequence of data frames each having the first duration using clock circuitry into the first data stream corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of equivalent data rates, each of the equivalent data rates being lower than the first data rate,
• wherein the framing circuitry is designed to decompose the second sequence of data frames corresponding to a high data rate digital subscriber line (HDSL) standard format and the first duration is 6 ms.