Multiple E-carrier transport over DSL

A multiplexer card comprising:

• a plurality of time division multiplex (TDM) ports, wherein a TDM port is a port configured to transmit and receive signals configured according to one of an E-carrier protocol and a T-carrier protocol;
• an unframed differential signaling interface;
• and
• a logic unit with circuit operable to map timeslots from each of the plurality of TDM ports to a combined continuous data stream transmitted via the differential signaling interface based on a timeslot map that is used for calculating a data rate of the differential signaling interface;
• and to map each timeslot in a continuous data stream received over the differential signaling interface to one of the plurality of TDM ports;
• wherein the continuous data stream contains a stream of bytes without explicit frame delineation inherent in the stream of bytes.

A method of transporting signals from a plurality of time division multiplex (TDM) ports over a digital subscriber line (DSL) link, wherein a TDM port is a port configured to transmit and receive signals configured according to one of an E-carrier protocol and a T-carrier, the method comprising:

• mapping at least one timeslot from each of the plurality of TDM ports to a first combined signal in a first multiplexer card based on a timeslot map that is used for calculating a data rate of a differential signaling interface;
• transmitting the first combined signal to a first unit via the differential signaling interface in the first multiplexer card, wherein the first unit is separate from and coupled to the first multiplexer card, the first unit located in a first location;
• mapping the first combined signal to timeslots in a DSL frame at the first unit;
• transmitting the DSL frame over the DSL link to a second unit, the second unit located in a second location different from the first location;
• extracting the DSL timeslots, which correspond to the timeslots from the plurality of TDM ports in the first multiplexer card, from the DSL frame at the second unit;
• mapping the extracted DSL timeslots to a second combined signal at the second unit;
• transmitting the second combined signal to a second multiplexer card via a differential signaling interface in the second unit;
• extracting the timeslots from the second combined signal at the second multiplexer card;
• and
• providing at least one extracted timeslot to each of a plurality of TDM ports in the second multiplexer card.