Sequence detector

A method for transmitting data from a transmitter to a receiver in a transmission system, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a decoder circuit of the receiver including at least one sequence detector, a sequence of input samples delivered over a channel from the transmitter, the at least one sequence detector configured to decode the sequence of input samples according to a configurable synchronization length;
• determining, via a branch metric circuit of the at least one sequence detector, branch metrics of respective transitions between states of a trellis based on the sequence of input samples;
• accumulating, via a path metric circuit of the at least one sequence detector, the branch metrics provided by the branch metric circuit so as to establish path metrics;
• selecting, via a survivor memory circuit of the at least one sequence detector, a survivor path having a survivor path memory length based on the path metrics provided by the path metric unit;
• outputting, via the survivor memory circuit, a survivor sequence of detected symbols corresponding to the survivor path;
• and
• configuring the at least one sequence detector such that the synchronization length of the at least one sequence detector is chosen different than the survivor path memory length.