Patent ID: 7328360

Claim:
A transmitter block used to support transmission of data, said transmitter block comprising: a synchronization generator generating a sequence of synchronization signals with a short interval between successive ones of said sequence of synchronization signals; and a plurality of converter blocks receiving each of a plurality of sequences of parallel data elements on a corresponding one of a plurality of parallel data channels, each of said plurality of converter blocks converting a corresponding one of said plurality of sequences of parallel data elements to a corresponding one of a plurality of sequences of serial data elements, said plurality of converter blocks sending each of said plurality of sequences of serial data elements on a corresponding one of a plurality of serial data channels, said plurality of converter blocks receiving said sequence of synchronization signals and ensuring that said plurality of parallel data channels are synchronized to a common time reference in response to each of said sequence of synchronization signals such that a first common clock signal is used to receive all of said plurality of sequences of parallel data elements on said plurality of parallel data channels, said plurality of sequences of synchronization signals comprises a plurality of sequences of synchronization signals, wherein a first one of said plurality of sequences of synchronization signals is provided to some of said plurality of converter blocks and a second one of said plurality of sequences of synchronization signals is provided to some other ones of said plurality of converter blocks.