Programmable high-speed cable with printed circuit board and boost device

A method for connecting a transmitting data source device to a receiving data sink device carrying differential signals including steps of:

• boosting at least one of the differential signals in a boost device that is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB);
• coupling a raw differential signal from the data source device through tracks of the PCB to two or more inputs of the boost device to generate one or more delayed raw differential signals;
• terminating the delayed raw differential signals in an input circuit of said boost device;
• selecting, in an input selector circuit of the boost device, the selector input circuit having first adjustable parameters, one of the delayed raw differential signals and outputting a coarsely deskewed signal;
• finely adjusting, in a deskew circuit of the boost device, the deskew circuit having second adjustable parameters, the coarsely deskewed signal into a finely deskewed signal;
• processing, in an equalizer circuit of the boost device, the equalizer circuit having third adjustable parameters, the finely deskewed signal into an equalized signal;
• amplifying, in an output circuit of said boost device, the equalized signal into a boosted signal;
• and
• sending the boosted signal to the data sink device.