Abstract: Method for equalizer adaptation and/or target adaptation in a receiver for a transmission channel. The method provides for detecting data in the received signal, deriving an error sequence representing potential errors in the data detection, deriving a first value representing the likelihood of an error in the data detection, the first value based on the error sequence and the received signal, and enabling and disabling adaptation of the equalizer and/or the target response depending on the first value being below or above a predefined threshold value.

Abstract: A communication system includes a communication channel (110) for time-synchronous transfer of data symbols a1, . . . , aN to a receiver (130). A sampling unit (132) is used for time-sequential sampling the channel under control of a sampling clock signal that is synchronous with transmittal of the data symbols. Each sample includes a representation of a data symbol and noise. A data-aided timing error detector (133) receives a representation of the samples. The detector includes a data-dependent noise predictor (310) for generating a predicted noise sequence ñ1, . . . , ñN where each predicted noise value nk for the k-th sample of the sequence depends on a cluster of a plurality of sampled data symbols and a noise whitening unit (320) for whitening of noise in the sample sequence by removing the predicted noise value ñk. The detector is arranged to provide a signal for correcting the sampling clock signal in dependence on the whitened sample sequence.