Abstract: Embodiments include a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) that includes a first comparator configured to receive as inputs a soft value and a first threshold, a second comparator configured to receive as inputs the soft value and a second threshold, a selector configured to select an output of either the first comparator or the second comparator as a DFE output based on one or more previous bits output by the selector; an error calculator configured to determine an error for the first comparator and the second comparator, and a threshold adjuster configured to adjust the first threshold and the second threshold, the first threshold and the second threshold each being a non-linear combination of one or more previous outputs of the selector.

Abstract: Embodiments include a system for performing dispersion compensation on an electromagnetic signal received over a communication channel, the electromagnetic signal bearing information at a symbol rate. An interleaved analog to digital converter (“ADC”) block may be used, wherein the interleaved ADC block may be configured to generate a plurality of digitally sampled signals from the electromagnetic signal. An interleaved equalizer block may be configured to digitally process each of the digitally sampled signals generated by the ADC block to generate a plurality of digitally equalized signals. A multiplexer may be configured to aggregate the digitally equalized signals into a composite output signal.

Abstract: Embodiments include a system for performing dispersion compensation on an electromagnetic signal received over a communication channel, the electromagnetic signal bearing information at a symbol rate. An interleaved analog to digital converter (“ADC”) block may be used, wherein the interleaved ADC block may be configured to generate a plurality of digitally sampled signals from the electromagnetic signal. An interleaved equalizer block may be configured to digitally process each of the digitally sampled signals generated by the ADC block to generate a plurality of digitally equalized signals. A multiplexer may be configured to aggregate the digitally equalized signals into a composite output signal.

Abstract: Embodiments include a system for performing dispersion compensation on an electromagnetic signal received over a communication channel, the electromagnetic signal bearing information at a symbol rate. An interleaved analog to digital converter (“ADC”) block may be used, wherein the interleaved ADC block may be configured to generate a plurality of digitally sampled signals from the electromagnetic signal. An interleaved equalizer block may be configured to digitally process each of the digitally sampled signals generated by the ADC block to generate a plurality of digitally equalized signals. A multiplexer may be configured to aggregate the digitally equalized signals into a composite output signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improved high-speed adaptive equalization that may operate effectively even in systems experiencing severe interference by using one or more error generators and taking multiple samples across a bit interval. Advantageously, a preferred embodiment of the current invention may be deployed in a clockless configuration. Preferably, one or more controllable analog filters may be controlled by one or more microprocessors used to assess the error data from the error generators and to calculate the appropriate coefficients for the filters according to one or more error minimization algorithms. Preferably, the steps of sampling, assessment, calculation and coefficient setting may be done iteratively to converge to an optimum set of filter values and/or respond dynamically to signals with time-varying noise and interference characteristics.

Abstract: A method for performing adaptive equalization is presented comprising receiving a Forward Error Correction (FEC) encoded signal from a channel, filtering the received FEC encoded signal using a filter according to at least one adjustable filter coefficient to produce a filtered signal, evaluating the filtered signal to generate a signal error output, adjusting the at least one adjustable filter coefficient in response to the signal error output, performing FEC decode processing dependent on the filtered signal to generate an FEC output, and adjusting the at least one adjustable filter coefficient in response to the FEC output. In one embodiment, the signal error output relates to Mean Squared Error (MSE), and the FEC output relates to bit error rate. The at least one adjustable filter coefficient may be first adjusted in response to the signal error output until a specified condition is met, then adjusted in response to the FEC output.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for performing adaptive equalization involving receiving a signal originating from a channel associated with inter-symbol interference, filtering the signal using a filter having a plurality of adjustable tap weights to produce a filtered signal, and adaptively updating each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights to a new value to reduce effects of inter-symbol interference, wherein each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights is adaptively updated to take into account a constraint relating to a measure of error in the filtered signal and a constraint relating to group delay associated with the filter. Each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights may be adaptively updated to drive group delay associated with the filter toward a target group delay.

Abstract: Improved high-speed adaptive equalization is presented that may involve converting an optical signal into an electrical signal and performing equalization by (i) filtering the electrical signal with an analog filter according to at least one filter coefficient to produce a filtered output, (ii) generating an error signal from the filtered output according to an error function, (iii) providing at least one control signal to the analog filter for adjusting the at least one filter coefficient, (iv) detecting a relationship between a change in the at least one filter coefficient and a change in the error signal, and (v) adjusting the at least one filter coefficient according to the relationship to minimize the error signal. The least one coefficient may comprise a plurality of coefficients, and the relationship may be a gradient estimate having multiple components, each determined by varying only one of the coefficients and detecting a resulting change in the error signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for eliminating dead zone in a phase locked loop with binary quantized detectors are described. Dead zone can be eliminated by changing the threshold used to quantize the cross point sample. A quantized cross point sample is integrated in order to set a new threshold. The integration may be performed during data transitions to eliminate threshold drift during long sequences where no transitions occur.

Abstract: A method for performing adaptive equalization is presented comprising receiving a Forward Error Correction (FEC) encoded signal from a channel, filtering the received FEC encoded signal using a filter according to at least one adjustable filter coefficient to produce a filtered signal, evaluating the filtered signal to generate a signal error output, adjusting the at least one adjustable filter coefficient in response to the signal error output, performing FEC decode processing dependent on the filtered signal to generate an FEC output, and adjusting the at least one adjustable filter coefficient in response to the FEC output. In one embodiment, the signal error output relates to Mean Squared Error (MSE), and the FEC output relates to bit error rate. The at least one adjustable filter coefficient may be first adjusted in response to the signal error output until a specified condition is met, then adjusted in response to the FEC output.

Abstract: Improved high-speed adaptive equalization is presented that may involve converting an optical signal into an electrical signal and performing equalization by (i) filtering the electrical signal with an analog filter according to at least one filter coefficient to produce a filtered output, (ii) generating an error signal from the filtered output according to an error function, (iii) providing at least one control signal to the analog filter for adjusting the at least one filter coefficient, (iv) detecting a relationship between a change in the at least one filter coefficient and a change in the error signal, and (v) adjusting the at least one filter coefficient according to the relationship to minimize the error signal. The least one coefficient may comprise a plurality of coefficients, and the relationship may be a gradient estimate having multiple components, each determined by varying only one of the coefficients and detecting a resulting change in the error signal.

Abstract: A method of encoding a plural-bit data word as a plurality of multi-level symbols, where each of the plurality of multi-level symbols has a value selected from a predetermined plurality of levels. The method includes first translating each one of the selected bit positions of the plural-bit data word to one of the levels. When the contents of a predetermined one of the bits of the data word is a predetermined value, the method provides a second translation of each of the selected bit positions of the plural-bit data word to one of the levels. The method further includes generating a plural-bit offset word from predetermined bit positions of the data word and generating the multi-level symbols by addition of the offset word to the translated levels. One embodiment of the invention provides that the multi-level symbols are assigned a five-level code and the codes are treated as twos-complement numbers.

Abstract: Method and system for a programmable analog tapped delay line filter are disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention is a programmable analog tapped delay line filter comprising an input line, an output line, and one or more gaincells or taps coupled between the input line and the output line. The input and output lines each comprises a cascade of one or more differential delay cells, and each of the one or more gaincells or taps corresponds to a tap weight or coefficient. Furthermore, the input and output lines are terminated in impedances and the filter produces one or more outputs.