Apparatus and method for forward error correction

A forward error correction (FEC) apparatus used in a transmission system, comprising:

• a low pass filter (LPF) for passing a low frequency component of an input signal having a predetermined transmission rate;
• an AC power meter for converting an energy value of an output signal of the LPF into a DC voltage value;
• a logarithm amplifier for receiving the DC voltage value from the AC power meter, for converting the DC voltage value into a linear DC voltage value, and for outputting the linear DC voltage value to a digital signal processor (DSP);
• a digital signal processor (DSP) for determining a transmission rate of the input signal according to a magnitude of the DC voltage value and for outputting a control signal for generating a clock signal in response to the determined transmission rate to a clock generator;
• a clock generator for generating a clock signal in response to the control signal from the DSP and for outputting the clock signal to a forward error correction (FEC) module;
• and,
• a forward error correction (FEC) module for performing a FEC operation on the input signal based on the clock signal from the clock generator.