US 8,711,906 B2 · Tracking data eye operating margin for steady state adaptation

Abstract

In described embodiments, a transceiver includes an eye monitor and margin detector having one or more samplers with corresponding logic. One or more programmable provisioning parameters are defined based on a pre-defined minimum target operating margin for acceptable noise and jitter margins. For example, two programmable provisioning parameters, phase and voltage, correspond with thresholds for margin samplers placed within the eye. Initially, the transceiver applies equalization, after which an inner eye of the transceiver, as detected by the eye monitor, is relatively open with some margin for supporting channels. If the receiver margin goes below this target margin, the eye closes, which is registered by the samplers. In the presence of spectrally rich input data, if the receiver margin goes below this target margin, an updated adaptation of equalizer or other circuit parameters might be initiated; else, adaptation is not generally required.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus for monitoring operating margin in a receiver, the apparatus comprising:

an eye monitor configured to generate a data eye from a data stream received from a channel;
at least one margin detector, each margin detector configured to:
monitor at least one inner position of the data eye based on a corresponding threshold, the threshold corresponding to a relative minimum target operating margin, and
compare the monitored inner position of the data eye to a substantially center position of the data eye to generate an indication of operating margin;
and
a first controller configured to, if the indication of operating margin reaches the minimum target operating margin, adaptively set parameters of one or more devices in a signal path of the data stream in the receiver based on the indication of operating margin, the one or more devices adapted in a determined order, wherein the first controller is further configured to perform steady state adaptation of parameters in accordance with a determined rate in a determined timeslot of operation of the receiver.

3 more elements

A method of monitoring operating margin in a receiver, the method comprising:

generating, with an eye monitor, a data eye from a data stream from a channel;
monitoring, with at least one margin detector, at least one inner position of the data eye based on a corresponding threshold, the threshold corresponding to a relative minimum target operating margin;
comparing the monitored inner position of the data eye to a substantially center position of the data eye to generate an indication of operating margin;
adaptively setting parameters of one or more devices in a signal path of the data stream in the receiver if the indication of operating margin reaches the minimum target operating margin, the one or more devices adapted by a sequencer in a determined order, and
performing steady state adaptation of parameters in accordance with a determined rate in a determined timeslot of operation of the receiver.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tracking data eye operating margin for steady state adaptation

Life of this patent

Tracking data eye operating margin for steady state adaptation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16