A semiconductor device including a signal generator and decoding and timing skew adjusting circuit is provided. The signal generator is configured to receive n multi-level signals having m signal levels and convert the n multi-level signals into n*(m1) single level signals having two signal levels. The decoding and timing skew adjusting circuit is configured to receive the single level signals, perform a predefined operation on the single level signals to generate an output signal, and compensate for timing skew between the n multi-level signals, using the single level signals. The n and m are natural numbers, where n>=2 and m>=3.

System and method of demodulation by adapting constellation values based on statistic distributions of received data symbols. To determine an adapted constellation, an expected ratio of received symbols with values in a certain range is preset based on an expected statistic distribution of data symbols across the multiple constellations. For a set of received symbols, a count ratio of symbols falling in a first range to all the symbols in the set is compared with the expected ratio, where the first range is defined as below a first value. The first value is repeatedly adjusted to adjust the first range until the count ratio equals the expected ratio. The final fist value is then designated as the optimal adapted constellation.

In a PAM-N receiver, sampler reference levels, DC offset and AFE gain may be jointly adapted to achieve optimal or near-optimal boundaries for the symbol decisions of the PAM-N signal. For reference level adaptation, the hamming distances between two consecutive data samples and their in-between edge sample are evaluated. Reference levels for symbol decisions are adjusted accordingly such that on a data transition, an edge sample has on average, equal hamming distance to its adjacent data samples. DC offset may be compensated to ensure detectable data transitions for reference level adaptation. AFE gains may be jointly adapted with sampler reference levels such that the difference between a reference level and a pre-determined target voltage is minimized.

A system for communicating information between circuits is described. A transmit circuit provides pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) signals via a communication channel to a receiver. A circuit in the receiver determines digital values from the received signals using a time-varying threshold voltage, which varies during the bit-time. This approach may compensate for inter-symbol interference (ISI) to increase the voltage and timing margins of the system.

A system for communicating information between circuits is described. A transmit circuit provides pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) signals via a communication channel to a receiver. A circuit in the receiver determines digital values from the received signals using a time-varying threshold voltage, which varies during the bit-time. This approach may compensate for inter-symbol interference (ISI) to increase the voltage and timing margins of the system.

A system for communicating information between circuits is described. A transmit circuit provides pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) signals via a communication channel to a receiver. A circuit in the receiver determines digital values from the received signals using a time-varying threshold voltage, which varies during the bit-time. This approach may compensate for inter-symbol interference (ISI) to increase the voltage and timing margins of the system.

In a PAM-N receiver, sampler reference levels, DC offset and AFE gain may be jointly adapted to achieve optimal or near-optimal boundaries for the symbol decisions of the PAM-N signal. For reference level adaptation, the hamming distances between two consecutive data samples and their in-between edge sample are evaluated. Reference levels for symbol decisions are adjusted accordingly such that on a data transition, an edge sample has on average, equal hamming distance to its adjacent data samples. DC offset may be compensated to ensure detectable data transitions for reference level adaptation. AFE gains may be jointly adapted with sampler reference levels such that the difference between a reference level and a pre-determined target voltage is minimized.

A symbol decision method includes: storing a look-up table (LUT) to a symbol decision circuit; receiving a first signal, and generating a coordinate signal set corresponding to the first signal according to the first signal, wherein the coordinate signal set is located in a first decision region; and reading the LUT according to the coordinate signal set to output a first symbol corresponding to the first signal, wherein the first symbol is a first constellation point corresponding to the first decision region.

A system for communicating information between circuits is described. A transmit circuit provides pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) signals via a communication channel to a receiver. A circuit in the receiver determines digital values from the received signals using a time-varying threshold voltage, which varies during the bit-time. This approach may compensate for inter-symbol interference (ISI) to increase the voltage and timing margins of the system.

A differential detector for a receiver and a method of detecting the value of symbols of a signal is disclosed. In particular, a detector comprising: an analog to digital converter for sampling samples from symbols of a signal; a differentiator configured to differentiate the samples with a transfer function to produce a differentiated series of samples for each symbol; and a decision device configured to determine the value of each symbol by comparing values of the differentiated series of samples with boundary condition values.