Digital serializer/deserializer circuit and data eye monitoring method thereof

A digital serializer/deserializer circuit for a receiver, the digital serializer/deserializer circuit comprising a data path and a data eye monitoring path, wherein:

• the data path comprises:
• a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert a received analog signal to first digital samples at a first sample rate;
• a first signal processing stage coupled to the first ADC, the first signal processing stage comprising an equalizer coupled to the ADC for equalizing the first digital samples to generate a first equalized signal;
• and
• a decision circuit coupled to the first signal processing stage for generating a symbol decision signal from the first equalized signal;
• and
• the data eye monitoring path comprises:
• a slicing circuit coupled to the first ADC and the first signal processing stage, and further configured to slice the received analog signal according to a slicer level to generate second digital samples at a second sample rate, wherein the slicer level is determined according to the first equalized signal and the first digital samples;
• and
• a data eye monitoring circuit coupled to the slicing circuit, and configured to determine a data eye error rate according to the symbol decision signal and the second digital samples.

A data eye monitoring method of a digital serializer/deserializer circuit for a receiver, the data eye monitoring method including:

• converting a received analog signal to first digital samples at a first sample rate;
• equalizing the first digital samples to generate a first equalized signal;
• generating a symbol decision signal from the first equalized signal;
• converting the received analog signal to second digital samples at a second sample rate, the second digital samples being sampled at second sampling points different from the first sampling points at which the first digital samples are sampled;
• determining difference between the first digital samples and the second digital samples, and combining the first equalized signal and the determined difference to generate a signal processing output;
• and
• determining a data eye error rate according to the symbol decision signal and the signal processing output.