In one embodiment, a method includes receiving input data bits at a collective data rate, the input data bits being grouped into a plurality of input data words, the input data bits of each of the input data words being received from n parallel input-data-bit streams, each of the n parallel input-data-bit streams having a stream data rate that is 1/n of the collective data rate, each of the input data words comprising n consecutive ones of the input data bits; selecting particular input data bits; and generating a k-bit deskew channel with the selected input data bits, the deskew channel comprising a number of frames, each of the frames comprising x input data bits from one or more input data words and one or more framing bits. In another embodiment, a method includes using such a deskew channel to determine relative delays between data channels and the deskew channel.