Systems, devices, and methods related to selecting a sample phase of a signal are disclosed. A method includes sampling a signal including a plurality of symbols with a plurality of different sample phases to obtain sample values of each of the plurality of symbols at each of the plurality of different sample phases. The signal is received from a shared transmission medium. The method also includes determining an edge sample phase of the plurality of different sample phases that corresponds to edges of the symbols based on the sample values. The method further includes determining a center sample phase of the plurality of different sample phases based on the determined edge sample phase, and using the determined center sample phase to determine values of the symbols.

There is provided a clock and data recovery circuit for a high-speed PAM-4 receiver through statistical learning. A clock and data recovery device according to an embodiment includes: an input unit through which data is inputted; a clock input unit through which a clock is inputted; a sampling unit configured to sample the inputted data by using the inputted clock; a controller configured to combine results of sampling at a plurality of sampling points, to determine a state of the clock based on the combined results, and to generate a control value for controlling the clock; and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the clock applied to the sampling unit, based on the control value generated by the controller. Accordingly, a hardware structure is simplified and energy efficiency is enhanced compared to an exiting oversampling clock and data recovery circuit for a PAM-4 receiver.

A receiver samples an analog, multi-level, pulse-amplitude-modulated signal using a clock-and-data recovery circuit (CDR) that samples the signal against adaptively calibrated symbol-decision thresholds in time with a clock signal that is phased aligned with and locked to the signal. The CDR can erroneously align the clock signal to inter-symbol edges of the signal, a condition called “edge lock,” rather than on the symbols themselves. A transition-type detector senses the edge-lock condition and unlocks the CDR, which can then realign the clock signal, this time on the symbols rather than the inter-symbol edges. The receiver can also respond to the edge-lock condition by kick-starting a shift of symbol-decision threshold that helps the CDR settle more quickly on correct symbol-decision thresholds.

Generating a composite interpolated phase-error signal for clock phase adjustment of a local oscillator by forming a summation of weighted phase-error signals generated using a matrix of partial phase comparators, each of which compare a phase of the local oscillator with a corresponding phase of a reference clock.

Embodiments of the present invention synchronize multiple synthesizers, such as phase-locked loops (PLLs), in a manner that does not require communication or coordination between the synthesizers. Specifically, each synthesizer is part of a synthesizer circuit that includes a synthesizer (e.g., a PLL), a phase measurement circuit, and a synchronization circuit. A common reference signal (e.g., an alternating clock signal) is provided to the synthesizer circuits. In one exemplary embodiment, in each synthesizer circuit, the phase measurement circuit measures a phase difference between the reference signal and a corresponding output of the synthesizer, and the synchronization circuit adjusts the synthesizer operation based on the measured phase difference in such a way that all of the synthesizers operate in-phase with one another relative to the common reference signal, without having any communication or coordination between the two synthesizer circuits other than provision of the common reference signal.

Methods and systems are described for measuring a vertical opening of a signal eye of a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) signal received over a channel to determine a vertically-centered voltage decision threshold of a sampler receiving a sampling clock, determining channel-characteristic parameters indicative of a frequency response of the channel, determining a correctional vernier value from the channel-characteristic parameters, and generating a horizontally-centered voltage decision threshold that introduces a horizontal sampling offset in the sampling clock in a direction closer to a horizontal center of the signal eye by combining the vertically-centered voltage decision threshold and the correctional vernier value.

A clock and data recovery circuit includes a phase interpolation circuit that adjusts a phase of a reference clock signal generated by a reference clock generation circuit to generate a reception clock signal, a filter that performs filter processing on a data signal output from an ADC that converts an analog data signal to a digital data signal in synchronization with the clock signal, a phase comparison circuit that outputs phase difference data between a transmission-side clock signal and the reference clock signal based on an output of the filter, and a loop filter that generates phase data to be set in the phase interpolation circuit. The filter includes an FIR filter with a tap number N, and an FIR filter with a tap number N+1 that outputs a signal delayed by half a clock than the former FIR filter.

A network transceiver device is provided, including at least two variable gain amplifiers (VGAs), and at least two sets of analog digital converters (ADCs), each set including ADCs coupled to an output of one of the VGAs, the sets being arranged in VGA-specific channels. The device includes a plurality of feed-forward equalizers (FFEs), each FFE being coupled to receive an output of one of the ADCs in one of the VGA-specific channels. Each FFE is configured to adaptively equalize the output received from the ADCs utilizing a first equalization coefficient subset with coefficient values that are common to all FFEs, and a second equalization coefficient subset that is channel specific and that has a first set of coefficient values for a first VGA-specific channel and a second set of coefficient values for a second VGA-specific channel, the sets of coefficient values being computed independently.

A physical layer (PHY) device comprises a phase interpolator to generate a set of sampler clocks. A sampler of the PHY device samples a calibration data pattern based on the set of sampler clocks. A data alignment system of the PHY device performs a coarse calibration and a fine calibration on the sampler clock signals. During the coarse calibration, the data alignment system moves the sampler clock signals earlier or later in time relative to the sampled data based on a first bit of the sampled data. During the fine calibration, the data alignment system moves the sampler clock signals earlier or later in time relative to the sampled data based on the first bit, a second bit, and a third bit in the sampled data.

A clock data recovery device includes a phase detector circuitry, a signal control circuitry, and interpolators. The phase detector is configured to detect a phase of an input signal, according to first clock signals, to generate first control signals, and phases of the first clock signals are different to each other. The signal control circuitry is configured to rearrange the first control signals to output as second control signals. The phase interpolators are configured to output second clock signals and alternatively adjust the phases of the second clock signals according to the second control signals to generate an output clock signal.