Data transmission synchronization system

An apparatus for synchronizing the transmission of blocks of data over a high data rate serial transmission link, comprising:

• a transmitter comprising:
• means for generating and inserting a 2-bit cyclical sequential synchronization into sequence attached to a header that is transmitted with each block of data, said synchronization incremented or decremented for each block of data transmitted, the sequence being, reset after reaching maximum or minimum value;
• means for transmitting an idle block of data during attempts to synchronize the transmission of said blocks of data;
• means for transmitting said blocks of data over a plurality of serial transmission links;
• a receiver comprising:
• means for receiving data over said plurality of serial transmission links;
• means for multiplexing different groups of received bits, each group representing a different framing position, wherein one of said framing positions is selected in accordance with a selection signal;
• means for searching data output of a current framing position for said 2-bit synchronization sequence;
• and
• means for repeatedly selecting a different framing position via said selection signal and searching said received data for said 2-bit synchronization sequence if synchronization is not found.

A receiver, comprising:

• means for receiving data over a plurality of serial transmission lines;
• multiplexer means adapted to receive different groups of received data bits and to generate different framing positions therefrom in response to a multiplexer control signal;
• a count state machine for searching the most significant two-bit output of said multiplexer means for the presence of a cyclic synchronization sequence and generating a sync status signal in response thereto;
• a sync state machine for controlling the framing position of said multiplexer means in accordance with said sync status signal output of said count state machine;
• and
• wherein said sync state machine and said count state machine are adapted to select different framing positions until a synchronization sequence is found and able to be successfully tracked from cell to cell.