In one embodiment, a hybrid backplane coding scheme transmits data using lengthy sequences of scrambled data, separated by 8b/10b control character sequences that prepare the receiver for the next scrambled sequence and permit realignment if necessary. Several lanes are coded separately in this manner, and then multiplexed on a common channel. Alignment sequences in the control character sequences, as well as scrambler seeds, are set to avoid synchronization of patterns generated among all lanes, which would tend to confuse a receiving serdes and/or phase-locked loop that recovers timing from the multiplexed scrambled signals.