Patent ID: 7039067

Claim:
An optical signal interface comprising: a first input port for receiving a first data stream at a first rate; a second input port for receiving a second data stream at a second rate, wherein said first rate is OC192 and said second rate is OC768; a first processing branch for receiving said first data stream, said first processing branch including: a demultiplexer for dividing said first data stream into a plurality of third data streams at a third rate which is less than said first rate; a forward error correction (FEC) unit for adding a forward error correction code to each of said plurality of third data streams to generate FEC encoded data streams; and a multiplexer for combining said FEC encoded data streams to output a composite FEC encoded data stream at substantially said first rate; and a second processing branch for receiving said second data stream, said second processing branch including: a demultiplexer for dividing said second data stream into a plurality of fourth data streams at a fourth rate which is less than said second rate; a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) units that share a common clock for adding a forward error correction code to each of said plurality of fourth data streams to generate FEC encoded data streams; and a multiplexer for combining said FEC encoded data streams to output a composite FEC encoded data stream at substantially said first rate.