Abstract: A method (600) that adjusts, at a predetermined boundary of a protocol utilized in decoding information from a signal received by a receiver (122), a symbol rate of the protocol (400). A processor (208) loads into a programmable counter (306), before a first boundary (412) of the protocol (400), a count of clock cycles defined to be received in the signal between the first and predetermined boundaries (414). The counter (306) counts from the first boundary (412), for a number of clock cycles equal to the count, a recovered bit clock synchronized with the signal and having the bit rate of the signal, to detect an occurrence of the predetermined boundary (414). The processor (208) loads, between the first (412) and predetermined boundaries (414), the another symbol rate into a bit-rate selection circuit (304).

Abstract: A symbol detector (110) for generating data symbols from a received signal having multiple signal voltages comprises an analog-to-digital converter (115) for converting the multiple signal voltages to digital values and peak and valley counters (310, 315) coupled to the analog-to-digital converter (115) for tracking the digital values to determine peak and valley values associated with high and low voltages, respectively, of the received signal. The symbol detector (110) further comprises calculation circuitry (120) coupled to the peak and valley counters (310, 315) for calculating upper, lower, and center thresholds in accordance with the peak and valley values and a decoder (125) coupled to the analog-to-digital converter (115) and the calculation circuitry (120) for generating the data symbols in accordance with the digital values and the upper, lower, and center thresholds.