Patent ID: 6982964

Claim:
A communications system comprising: a ground-based, fixed data rate commercial communications network wherein a first data stream is transmitted in fixed length datagrams comprising cells or frames; a high speed, variable data rate satellite communications network, wherein a second serial data stream is transmitted in frames having an Emitter Coupled Logic (ECL) signal format, and wherein each of said frames is comprised of plural cells; synchronization means for monitoring and comparing timing of said first data stream and said second serial data stream and for either adding or removing non-data bearing idle cells in said first data stream for synchronizing said first data stream with said second serial data stream; error correction means for providing a first error correction value to said first or second data streams for correcting a first error level in data transmission; error detection means for monitoring said first or second data stream and determining a current error level and providing a second error correction value representing said current error level; and comparison means for comparing said first error correction value with said second error correction value and for providing said second error correction value to said first or second data stream if said second error correction value differs from said first error correction value.