Method of bit rate adaption using the ECMA 102 protocol

A method of bit rate adaption between a user data rate and an adapter data rate using the ECMA 102 protocol. The user data is received from a user terminal at a user data rate, the rate adapted data is transmitted at an adapted data rate, and the adapted data rate is greater than the user data rate. The user data is either in a asynchronous or a synchronous format and contains a start element and at least one stop element. The method involves the steps of: (1) converting the user data into an intermediate data; (2) storing the intermediate data in a receive buffer; (3) only if the user data is in an asynchronous data format, adding stop elements to the intermediate data; (4) transferring the intermediate data in the receive buffer to an intermediate buffer; (5) constructing a frame using data from the intermediate buffer; (6) storing the frame in a transmit buffer, and; (7) transmitting the frame where the step of transmitting changes the frame into the rate adapted data.