METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DELINEATING DATA IN AN FEC-CODED ETHERNET FRAME

摘要

Provided is a system that facilitates construction of a forward error correction (FEC) coded Ethernet frame. During operation, the system receives a conventional Ethernet frame. The system then generates a number of FEC parity bits for the conventional Ethernet frame and inserts a start sequence before the conventional Ethernet frame. Next, the system appends an even- or odd-delimiter (TFEC_E210, TFEC-O 220) to the conventional Ethernet frame. The even-delimiter is used to separate the conventional Ethernet frame from the FEC parity bits if the last symbol of the conventional Ethernet frame is in an odd-numbered position. The odd-delimiter is used to separate the conventional Ethernet frame from the FEC parity bits if the last symbol of the conventional Ethernet frame is in an even-numbered position. The even-delimiter and the odd-delimiter are selected such that there is a sufficiently large Hamming distance between them.