Patent ID: 7711006

Claim:
A data merge unit for providing an interleaved data stream, the data stream including data frames received on two or more input channels, wherein complete data frames from each of the two or more input channels are arranged in time-slots of the interleaved data stream, the data merge unit comprising: an input unit to receive data frames from two or more input channels; a frame merge buffer arranged to receive data frames from the two or more input channels via the input unit and store said data frames; and an output generator to generate the interleaved data stream, the output generator being configured to select complete data frames from the frame merge buffer and arrange said complete data frames in the interleaved data stream, in which the output generator is operable in a first mode to select complete data frames in the frame merge buffer from an identified input channel and output the selected frames in a corresponding time-slot of the interleaved data stream for that input channel independently of other input channels, and, in a second mode in which complete data frames from two or more of the two or more input channels are selected from the frame merge, buffer and merged and provided in a common time-slot of the interleaved data stream.