Automatic gain control system and method with improved blocker performance

A communication system receiver with improved blocker performance, comprising:

• a receiver chain that converts a received signal to a digital baseband signal, wherein said receiver chain comprises a plurality of gain stages and provides an overload indication when said receiver chain is overloaded;
• a plurality of gain tables each having a plurality of entries in which each entry includes a gain setting for each of said plurality of gain stages, wherein said plurality of gain tables includes a first gain table that is configured to optimize a signal to noise ratio (SNR) and a signal to noise plus distortion ratio (SNDR) under no blocker or weak blocker conditions, and at least one additional gain table that is configured to improve said SNDR under stronger blocker conditions;
• a digital circuit that determines a power level of an encapsulated signal within said digital baseband signal and that provides a power level indication indicative thereof;
• an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit that sets a gain of each of said plurality of gain stages of said receiver chain, wherein said AGC circuit defines a plurality of coarse gain settings, wherein said AGC circuit initially sets said receiver chain to a maximum coarse gain setting, and when a saturation indication is provided at said maximum coarse gain setting, said AGC circuit backs off said coarse gain setting of said receiver chain to a next one of said plurality of coarse gain settings until said saturation indication is not provided;
• and
• wherein said AGC circuit selects one of said plurality of gain tables based on a number of discrete back offs of said coarse gain setting, selects an entry of said selected gain table based on said power level indication, and applies a plurality of gain settings of said selected entry to said plurality of gain stages of said receiver chain.