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Abstract

Data rate control systems, methods, and computer program products in which an error counter is maintained that contains an error count. The error counter is periodically sampled to determine a sampling interval error count corresponding to a change in the error count since a previous read of the error counter. The sampling interval error count is provided to a first filter that is characterized by a slow time-constant and a second filter that is characterized by a fast time-constant. The first filter generates a slow-filtered sampling interval error count while the second filter generates a fast-filtered sampling interval error count, which are used as a basis for generating a data rate slowdown request signal. More specifically, the data rate slowdown request signal is generated if either the slow-filtered sampling interval error count or the fast-filtered sampling interval error count exceeds a threshold respectively associated therewith. Advantageously, the first filter, which is characterized by a slow time-constant, may be used to respond to lower numbers of errors that are sustained over an extended time period while the second filter, which is characterized by a fast time-constant, may be used to respond to large error bursts spanning a shorter time period. Moreover, by filtering the errors accumulated during each sampling interval, sensitivity with respect to the position in time of a given error burst relative to boundaries between sampling intervals may be avoided.

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