Patent ID: 8582635
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for equalization to a set of samples of an input signal representing data symbols, the apparatus comprising: a set of delays coupled in series and configured to received the set of samples of the input signal, the set of delays comprising (1) a fixed-tap group configured to generate a fixed-tap sample group and (2) a floating-tap group configured to generate a floating-tap sample group; a fixed feed-forward equalizer (FFE) stage configured to apply a set of fixed filter taps to the fixed-tap sample group to generate a corresponding set of partial results; at least one floating FFE stage configured to apply an associated set of floating filter taps to selected ones of the floating-tap sample group to generate a corresponding set of partial results, wherein each floating FFE stage comprises a delay bank configured to adjust, in time, the corresponding set of partial results with the partial results of the fixed FFE stage; a combiner configured to combine the partial results of the fixed FFE stage with the partial results of each corresponding floating FFE stage, thereby generating a set of floating tap feed forward (FT-FFE) equalized samples of the input signal; a decision device configured to generate a set of data samples corresponding to the data symbols from the set of FT-FFE equalized samples of the input signal; and a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) configured to apply a DFE filter to the set of data samples, and a combiner configured to subtract the DFE-filtered set of data samples from the set of FT-FFE equalized samples of the input signal, wherein the fixed-tap sample group corresponds to the most recent ones, in time, of the set of samples of the input signal that are determined by a primary peak of a channel response for the input signal and wherein the selected ones of the floating-tap sample group are selected based on subsequent peaks of the channel response for the input signal.