Framer and deframer for self-describing superframe

A framer for a communication system, comprising:

• a selector configured to receive a data stream comprising data units, one or more channel identifiers, and channel state information, the channel state information including one or more format indicators and one or more sample size indicators, the selector being configured to manage allocation and deallocation of the data stream, each of the data units being associated with one of the one or more channel identifiers and one of the one or more format indicators, the one or more format indicators being based on variable bandwidths of a data stream;
• a channel state memory block configured to store the channel state information of the data stream, wherein the channel state memory block comprises:
• a write port;
• a plurality of read ports;
• and
• groups of memory portions, each of the groups of memory portions comprising memory locations, a memory location associated with a channel identifier and configured to store channel information of the associated channel identifier, each of the groups of memory portions communicatively coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of read ports, each of the groups of memory portions communicatively coupled to the write port;
• a frame timer configured to provide frame state information;
• a frame builder communicatively coupled to the channel state memory block and the frame timer, the frame builder configured to receive the one or more format indicators and the one or more sample size indicators, to receive the frame state information, to receive at least some of data units of the data stream, and to build a self-describing superframe based on the one or more format indicators, the one or more sample size indicators, the frame state information, and the at least some of data units,
• wherein the superframe comprises a plurality of frames, and wherein a channel identifier and a format indicator for a respective channel of the data stream occupies a plurality of frames rather than one single frame of a corresponding superframe.

A method of building a self-describing superframe for a communication system, comprising:

• receiving, by a selector, a data stream comprising data units, one or more channel identifiers, and channel state information, the channel state information including one or more format indicators and one or more sample size indicators, each of the data units being associated with one of the one or more channel identifiers and one of the one or more format indicators, the one or more format indicators being based on variable bandwidths of a data stream;
• managing, by the selector, allocation and deallocation of the data stream;
• storing, by a channel state memory block, the channel state information of the data stream;
• providing by a frame timer, frame state information;
• receiving, by a frame builder communicatively coupled to the channel state memory block and the frame timer, the one or more format indicators, the one or more sample size indicators, the frame state information, and at least some of data units of the data stream;
• building, by the frame builder, a self-describing superframe based on the one or more format indicators, the one or more sample size indicators, the frame state information, and the at least some of data units,
• wherein the superframe comprises a plurality of frames, and wherein a channel identifier, a format indicator, and a sample size indicator for a respective channel of the data stream occupies a plurality of frames rather than one single frame of the superframe;
• receiving and storing, by a data block communicatively coupled to the selector and to the frame builder, first one of the data units if the channel identifier associated with the first one of the data units is allocated to the superframe;
• and
• not receiving second one of the data units if the channel identifier associated with the second one of the data units is deallocated from the superframe.