Method and system for implementing relative time discriminations in a high speed data transmission network

A data transmission network congestion control mechanism requires knowledge of the sequence of occurrence of two dates d1 and d2, respectively defined by times t1 and t2 provided by a wraparound timer as respective numbers A and B coded in a 2's-complement form. Relative date discrimination is implemented by dividing the wraparound timer period into four consecutive intervals, each defined by the two most significant bits of the timer count. The value of the most significant bits and the sign of A-B, are used to derive a one-bit "X" indicator, the binary value of which indicates which of the two dates d1 and d2 was first to occur.