A signal processor is adapted for aligning two or more hyper-concatenated
data streams, each data stream being conveyed within a respective
parallel channel and having substantially equivalent bit and frame rates.
The signal processor comprises a respective channel processor for each
channel for processing a respective data stream. Each channel processor
includes a framer, a memory, an interface, and an output timer. The
framer generates a local strobe signal indicative of a timing of incoming
frames of the respective data stream. The memory buffers incoming bits of
the respective data stream. The interface selectively sends the local
strobe signal to, and receives a master strobe signal from, an adjacent
channel processor. The output timer controls a timing of outgoing bits of
the respective data stream based on a selected one of the local and
master strobe signals.