Frame synchronization

When packets of varying length are sent, it is necessary to have an instantly recognizable packet-end delimiter (e.g., Ethernet's end of stream symbol).

Thus, it is acceptable to use a much smaller frame boundary marker, at the expense of a lengthier process to establish synchronization in the first place.

If the transmission is temporarily interrupted, or a bit slip event occurs, the receiver must re-synchronize.

The transmitter and the receiver must agree ahead of time on which frame synchronization scheme they will use.

Each frame contains a subframe ID (often a simple counter) which identifies its position within the superframe.