Patent ID: 7443922

Claim:
Apparatus for receiving and unpadding, successively received, padded blocks of data, each of the padded blocks of data including a first number of data bits that the apparatus initially receives serially in a serial data signal, and each of the padded blocks being converted by the apparatus to an unpadded block that includes a second number of data bits that is less than the first number, the apparatus comprising: means for deriving from a single reference clock signal first and second further clock signals having respective, different, first and second frequencies; means for using the first further clock signal to assemble in parallel from the serial data signal a group of successive data bits equal in number to the first number without regard for where in the group padding bits occur; and means for using the second further clock signal to separate from successive ones of the groups successive unpadded blocks and to output each of said unpadded blocks in parallel.