Patent ID: 6999480
Filing Date: 2006-02-14
Classification: H04J,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for preventing data loss in a network device receiving at least one network data connection, the network device including a framer, a pointer interpreter, a demapper, and a phase locked loop (PLL), the PLL providing a PLL control word indicative of the PLL recovered data rate of the PLL, the network data connection carrying a plurality of data messages having a first format, the first format including a portion of the data providing indicia of the existence of an error condition, the plurality of data messages having an input data rate, the apparatus comprising: a monitor for detecting an error condition, the monitor configured and arranged such that in the event an error condition is detected, the monitor is responsive to the detected error condition by providing an error signal as an output; a protection device including an error data generator and an error data rate generator, the error data rate generator coupled to the PLL, the error data rate generator configured and arranged to receive the PLL control word, the error data rate generator responsive to the PLL control word by providing a carrier signal for a data rate substantially equal to the PLL recovered data rate, the error data generator coupled to the monitor and being responsive to the error signal by generating a plurality of predetermined error data, wherein the error data rate generator is coupled to the error data generator and in conjunction therewith provide as an output, the plurality of predetermined error data at the PLL recovered data rate; and the plurality of predetermined error data provided to the network device wherein the network device inserts the plurality of predetermined error data into the plurality of data messages at the appropriate locations.