Method and device for high bandwidth receiver for high baud-rate communications

An analog front-end (AFE) device, the AFE device comprising:

• a sampler array configured to receive an input signal and a plurality of clock signals, the plurality of clock signals being received from a clocking circuit, and the sampler array comprising a plurality of sampling circuits each configured to sample and hold the input signal based on a respective one of the plurality of clock signals;
• a plurality of differential source follower circuits comprising respective cross-coupled transistor circuits, the cross-coupled transistor circuits comprising cross-coupled transistors configured to receive respective outputs of the plurality of sampling circuits and adjust gain of the plurality of sampling circuits;
• and
• a plurality of programmable attenuation circuits comprising at least one voltage-controlled resistor, the voltage-controlled resistor connected to a differential output of one of the cross-coupled transistor circuits and configured to i) receive an analog control signal and ii) adjust the gain of a corresponding one of the plurality of sampling circuits in response to the analog control signal, the plurality of programmable attenuation circuits further configured to receive respective outputs of the plurality of sampling circuits and respective control signals from a control circuit including the analog control signal, the plurality of programmable attenuation circuits being further configured, based on the respective control signals, to adjust the gain for ones of the plurality of sampling circuits independently of other ones of the plurality of sampling circuits to compensate for gain mismatch between outputs of the plurality of sampling circuits.