Adding operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) information in 66-bit code

1. An apparatus comprising:

a 64b66b encoder configured to:

process operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) information;

determine a bit pattern based on the OAM information;

form forward error correction (FEC) parity sync-headers based on the bit pattern; and

form an FEC codeword with the FEC parity sync-headers; and

a transmitter coupled to the 64b66b encoder and configured to transmit the FEC codeword.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the FEC parity sync-headers comprise a first sync-header, a second sync-header, a third sync-header, and a fourth sync-header.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein, when the OAM information is a binary 0 bit, the 64b66b encoder is further configured to:

form the first sync-header with binary 00 bits;

form the second sync-header with binary 11 bits;

form the third sync-header with binary 11 bits; and

form the fourth sync-header with binary 00 bits.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein, when the OAM information is a binary 1 bit, the 64b66b encoder is further configured to:

form the first sync-header with binary 11 bits;

form the second sync-header with binary 00 bits;

form the third sync-header with binary 00 bits; and

form the fourth sync-header with binary 11 bits.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when the OAM information is a binary 0 bit, the 64b66b encoder is further configured to form a first pattern with the FEC parity sync-headers.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein, when the OAM information is a binary 1 bit, the 64b66b encoder is further configured to form a second pattern with the FEC parity sync-headers, wherein the second pattern is a complement of the first pattern.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the OAM information comprises one bit so that an OAM rate is 5 megabits per second (Mb/s).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 64b66b encoder is further configured to:

form 27 data blocks;

form 4 parity blocks comprising the FEC parity sync-headers; and

further form the FEC codeword with the 27 data blocks and the 4 parity blocks so that the OAM information is carried in the FEC codeword of 31 blocks of data.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

processing operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) information;

determining a bit pattern based on the OAM information;

forming forward error correction (FEC) parity sync-headers based on the bit pattern;

forming an FEC codeword with the FEC parity sync-headers; and

transmitting the FEC codeword.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the FEC parity sync-headers comprise a first sync-header, a second sync-header, a third sync-header, and a fourth sync-header.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein, when the OAM information is a binary 0 bit, the method further comprises:

forming the first sync-header with binary 00 bits;

forming the second sync-header with binary 11 bits;

forming the third sync-header with binary 11 bits; and

forming the fourth sync-header with binary 00 bits.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein, when the OAM information is a binary 1 bit, the method further comprises:

forming the first sync-header with binary 11 bits;

forming the second sync-header with binary 00 bits;

forming the third sync-header with binary 00 bits; and

forming the fourth sync-header with binary 11 bits.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein, when the OAM information is a binary 0 bit, the method further comprises forming a first pattern with the FEC parity sync-headers.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein, when the OAM information is a binary 1 bit, the method further comprises forming a second pattern with the FEC parity sync-headers, wherein the second pattern is a complement of the first pattern.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the OAM information comprises one bit so that an OAM rate is 5 megabits per second (Mb/s).

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

forming 27 data blocks;

forming 4 parity blocks comprising the FEC parity sync-headers; and

further forming the FEC codeword with the 27 data blocks and the 4 parity blocks so that the OAM information is carried in the FEC codeword of 31 blocks of data.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a forward error correction (FEC) codeword; and

a 64b66b decoder coupled to the receiver and configured to:

extract FEC parity sync-headers from the FEC codeword;

determine a bit pattern of the FEC parity sync-headers; and

determine operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) information based on the bit pattern.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the FEC parity sync-headers comprise a first sync-header, a second sync-header, a third sync-header, and a fourth sync-header.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the 64b66b decoder is further configured to determine that the OAM information is a binary 0 bit when:

the first sync-header comprises binary 00 bits;

the second sync-header comprises binary 11 bits;

the third sync-header comprises binary 11 bits; and

the fourth sync-header comprises binary 00 bits.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the 64b66b decoder is further configured to determine that the OAM information is a binary 1 bit when:

the first sync-header comprises binary 11 bits;

the second sync-header comprises binary 00 bits;

the third sync-header comprises binary 00 bits; and

the fourth sync-header comprises binary 11 bits.