Multi-level digital data regeneration system

An adaptive regeneration system for reconstructing a signal received in the form of a multi-level composite data and clock signal which has been degraded with respect to amplitude and timing, said adaptive regeneration system comprising:

• a local clock circuit comprising a local oscillator for outputting a local clock signal and a delay element electrically connected to said local oscillator for establishing a plurality of phase-delayed local clock signals;
• a clock recovery circuit for receiving said received multi-level signal and said plurality of phase-delayed clock signals and extracting a selected phase-delayed local clock signal which most accurately represents the least phase shift between the received multi-level signal and said selected phase-delayed local clock signal;
• a threshold level selection circuit for receiving said selected phase-delayed local clock signal and said received multi-level signal and outputting, in real time, (i) a data amplitude reading corresponding to the instantaneous amplitude of the received multi-level signal, and (ii) a plurality of multi-level threshold levels corresponding to changing amplitude levels of the received multi-level signal;
• and
• a data regenerator for receiving said data amplitude reading, said plurality of multi-level threshold levels and said selected phase-delayed signal and for reconstructing said received multi-level signal.

A method of reconstructing a signal received in the form of a multi-level composite data and clock signal which has been degraded with respect to amplitude and timing, said method comprising the steps of:

• outputting a plurality of phase-delayed local clock signals;
• receiving said received multi-level signal and said plurality of phase-delayed clock signals and extracting a selected phase-delayed local clock signal which most accurately represents the least phase shift between the received multi-level signal and said selected phase-delayed local clock signal;
• receiving said selected phase-delayed local clock signal and said received multi-level signal and outputting, in real time, (i) a data amplitude reading corresponding to the instantaneous amplitude of the received multi-level signal, and (ii) a plurality of multi-level threshold levels corresponding to the amplitude levels of the received multi-level signal;
• receiving said data amplitude reading, said plurality of multi-level threshold levels and said selected phase-delayed signal;
• and reconstructing said received multi-level signal.