Worst case eye for multi-level pulse amplitude modulated links

A system comprising:

• a memory system configured to store computer-executable instructions;
• and
• a computing system, in response to execution of the computer-executable instructions, is configured to:
• characterize a channel of an electronic device capable of communicating signals encoding data in more than two value levels, wherein the characterization of the channel identifies multiple step responses of the channel, each step response corresponding to a transition between a plurality of the value levels;
• determine distribution boundaries of the signals at each of the value levels based, at least in part, on the step responses of the channel;
• and
• predict a signal integrity of the channel based, at least in part, on the distribution boundaries of the signals at each of the value levels.

An apparatus comprising at least one computer-readable memory device storing instructions configured to cause one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:

• characterizing a channel of an electronic device capable of communicating signals encoding data in more than two value levels, wherein the characterization of the channel identifies multiple step responses of the channel, each step response corresponding to a transition between a plurality of the value levels;
• determining distribution boundaries of the signals at each of the value levels based, at least in part, on the step responses of the channel;
• and
• predicting a signal integrity of the channel based, at least in part, on the distribution boundaries of the signals at each of the value levels.