Disclosed is an interface and method for data transmission between digital and radio frequency (RF) components of a base station. The interface and method involves transmitting transmit or receive data over a first set of time slots and transmitting various uplink or downlink low rate static/control signals over a second set of time slots. The transmit data includes in-phase transmit data bits and quadrature phase transmit bits, and the receive data includes in-phase transmit data bits and quadrature phase transmit bits received over a diversity antenna system.