Data receiving device and method

A data receiving device comprising:

• a feed-forward equalizer configured to receive a multi-level signal through a channel;
• and
• a list-decision feedback equalizer configured to generate a restored multi-level signal using an output of the feed-forward equalizer, wherein the list-decision feedback equalizer calculates inter-symbol interferences (ISI) respectively for L symbol paths, where L is a natural number equal to or greater than 2,
• wherein after removing the L inter-symbol interferences from the output of the feed-forward equalizer, the list-decision feedback equalizer calculates a path metric for each of the L symbol paths, and
• wherein the list-decision feedback equalizer generates the restored multi-level signal by repeating an operation of selecting L values among the calculated path metrics for the L symbol paths to update the L symbol paths.

A data receiving method comprising:

• storing L symbol paths, where L is a natural number equal to or greater than 2;
• calculating L inter-symbol interferences (ISI) for the L symbol paths, respectively;
• calculating a path metric for each of the L symbol paths after removing the L inter-symbol interferences from an output of a feed-forward equalizer;
• and
• selecting L values among the calculated path metrics for the L symbol paths to update the L symbol paths.