Apparatus and method for implementing an ATM AAL2 combined use timer

The present invention in general relates to apparatus and method for implementing an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (i.e.-ATM) Adaptation Layer type 2 (i.e.-AAL2) combined use timer. And especially a device and method for implementing an ATM AAL2 combined use timer in an ATM transmitter. A system and a method of the present invention for implementing a combined use Timer_CU within an ATM transmitter. The ATM transmitter being able to handle a plurality of ATM channels, at least one of the channel being an ATM AAL2 channel. The ATM channels can provide ATM-cells at different traffic parameters, such as, for example, different cell or bit rate, priorities, and bursts. The system schedules channels in a first table by channel identifiers. Cyclical pointers to this first table advance (i) at every time slot, (ii) within a time slot, whereas (iii) CPS-Packets with one or more octets already packed wait at most the duration of a Timer_CU before being scheduled to be sent by CPS transmitter to ATM transmitter. Conveniently, the schedule scheme is based upon a scheduling table comprising of a plurality of time slots. CPS-Packets are multiplexed and packed to form a CPS_PDU, the CPS_PDU is submitted to a processor that handles the transmission of ATM cells, each CPS_PDU is converted to an ATM cell and transmitted to a communication channel during a single time slot. Therefore, Timer_CU ends when the ATM cell actually is transmitted.