Pulse or digital communications – Equalizers – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2001-06-26
Pham, Chi (Department: 2631)
Pulse or digital communications
Equalizers
Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252904
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for decoding received encoded signals and, more particularly, for decoding and ISI compensating multi-dimensional signals, encoded in accordance with a multi-state encoding scheme and modulated in accordance with a multi-level modulation alphabet, with a minimum of computational complexity and propagation delays in the logic circuits.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In recent years, local area network (LAN) applications have become more and more prevalent as a means for providing local interconnect between personal computer systems, work stations and servers. Because of the breadth of its installed base, the 10BASE-T implementation of Ethernet remains the most pervasive if not the dominant, network technology for LANs. However, as the need to exchange information becomes more and more imperative, and as the scope and size of the information being exchanged increases, higher and higher speeds (greater bandwidth) are required from network interconnect technologies. Among the highspeed LAN technologies currently available, fast Ethernet, commonly termed 100BASE-T, has emerged as the clear technological choice. Fast Ethernet technology provides a smooth, non-disruptive evolution from the 10 megabit per second (Mbps) performance of 10BASE-T applications to the 100 Mbps performance of 100BASE-T. The growing use of 100BASE-T interconnections between servers and desktops is creating a definite need for an even higher speed network technology at the backbone and server level.
One of the more suitable solutions to this need has been proposed in the IEEE 802.3ab standard for gigabit ethernet, also termed 1000BASE-T. Gigabit ethernet is defined as able to provide 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) bandwidth in combination with the simplicity of an ethernet architecture, at a lower cost than other technologies of comparable speed. Moreover, gigabit ethernet offers a smooth, seamless upgrade path for present 10BASE-T or 100BASE-T ethernet installations.
In order to obtain the requisite gigabit performance levels, gigabit ethernet transceivers are interconnected with a multi-pair transmission channel architecture. In particular, transceivers are interconnected using four separate pairs of twisted Category-5 copper wires. Gigabit communication, in practice, involves the simultaneous, parallel transmission of information signals, with each signal conveying information at a rate of 250 megabits per second (Mb/s). Simultaneous, parallel transmission of four information signals over four twisted wire pairs poses substantial challenges to bidirectional communication transceivers, even though the data rate on any one wire pair is “only” 250 Mbps.
In particular, the gigabit ethernet standard requires that digital information being processed for transmission be symbolically represented in accordance with a five-level pulse amplitude modulation scheme (PAM-
5
) and encoded in accordance with an 8-state Trellis coding methodology. Coded information is then communicated over a multi-dimensional parallel transmission channel to a designated receiver, where the original information must be extracted (demodulated) from a multi-level signal. In gigabit Ethernet, it is important to note that it is the concatenation of signal samples received simultaneously on all four twisted pair lines of the channel that defines a symbol. Thus, demodulator/decoder architectures must be implemented with a degree of computational complexity that allows them to accommodate not only the “state width” of Trellis coded signals, but also the “dimensional depth” represented by the transmission channel.
Computational complexity is not the only challenge presented to modern gigabit capable communication devices. A perhaps greater challenge is that the complex computations required to process “deep” and “wide” signal representations must be performed in an almost vanishingly small period of time. For example, in gigabit applications, each of the four-dimensional signal samples, formed by the four signals received simultaneously over the four twisted wire pairs, must be efficiently decoded within a particular allocated symbol time window of about 8 nanoseconds.
Successfully accomplishing the multitude of sequential processing operations required to decode gigabit signal samples within an 8 nanosecond window requires that the switching capabilities of the integrated circuit technology from which the transceiver is constructed be pushed to almost its fundamental limits. If performed in conventional fashion, sequential signal processing operations necessary for signal decoding and demodulation would result in a propagation delay through the logic circuits that would exceed the clock period, rendering the transceiver circuit non-functional. Fundamentally, then, the challenge imposed by timing constraints must be addressed if gigabit Ethernet is to retain its viability and achieve the same reputation for accurate and robust operation enjoyed by its 10BASE-T and 110BASE-T siblings.
In addition to the challenges imposed by decoding and demodulating multilevel signal samples, transceiver systems must also be able to deal with intersymbol interference (ISI) introduced by transmission channel artifacts as well as by modulation and pulse shaping components in the transmission path of a remote transceiver system. During the demodulation and decoding process of Trellis coded information, ISI components are introduced by either means must also be considered and compensated, further expanding the computational complexity and thus, system latency of the transceiver system. Without a transceiver system capable of efficient, high-speed signal decoding as well as simultaneous ISI compensation, gigabit ethernet would likely not remain a viable concept.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method and a system for providing an input signal from a multiple decision feedback equalizer to a decoder based on a tail value and a subset of coefficient values received from a decision-feedback equalizer. A set of pre-computed values based on the subset of coefficient values is generated. Each of the pre-computed values is combined with the tail value to generate a tentative sample. One of the tentative samples is selected as the input signal to the decoder.
In one aspect of the system, tentative samples are saturated and then stored in a set of registers before being outputted to a multiplexer which selects one of the tentative samples as the input signal to the decoder. This operation of storing the tentative samples in the registers before providing the tentative samples to the multiplexer facilitates high-speed operation by breaking up a critical path of computations into substantially balanced first and second portions, the first portion including computations in the decision-feedback equalizer and the multiple decision feedback equalizer, the second portion including computations in the decoder.
The present invention can be directed to a system and method for decoding and ISI compensating received signal samples, modulated for transmission in accordance with a multi-level alphabet, and encoded in accordance with a multi-state encoding scheme. Modulated and encoded signal samples are received and decoded in an integrated circuit receiver which includes a multi-state signal decoder. The multi-state signal decoder includes a symbol decoder adapted to receive a set of signal samples representing multi-state signals and evaluate the multi-state signals in accordance with the multi-level modulation alphabet and the multi-state encoding scheme. The symbol decoder outputs tentative decisions.
An ISI compensation circuit is configured to provide ISI compensated signal samples to the symbol decoder. The ISI compensation circuit is constructed of a single decision feedback equalizer, with the single decision feedback equalizer providing ISI compensated signal samples to the symbol decoder based on tentative decisions outputted by the symbol decoder.
In one aspect of the inventio
Abnous Arthur
Agazzi Oscar E.
Hatamian Mehdi
Kruse David
Broadcom Corporation
Burd Kevin M.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Pham Chi
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