Patent ID: 8406285

Claim:
A method for tuning an analog equalizer and a digital equalizer, comprising: injecting a plurality of signals into a model of a communication channel, the model being configured to have an analog equalizer at a receiving end; tuning a setting of the analog equalizer to obtain a first ratio of a pulse peak to a rise time in a precursor portion of the injected plurality signals that are received from the channel; injecting another plurality of signals into the model of the communication channel, the model being reconfigured to have the tuned analog equalizer and a digital equalizer downstream of the tuned analog equalizer; tuning a setting of the digital equalizer based on a post-cursor tail characteristic of the another plurality of signals; injecting a further another plurality of signals into the model having the tuned analog equalizer and the tuned digital equalizer; measuring a bit error rate (BER) of the model based at least in part on injecting the further another plurality of signals; determining that the measured BER is less than a threshold BER value; and iteratively repeating said injecting a plurality of signals, said subsequent tuning of the setting of the analog equalizer, said injecting another plurality of signals, said subsequent tuning of the setting of the digital equalizer, said injecting a further another plurality of signals, and said subsequent measurement of the BER, until the measured BER of the model is less than the threshold value, wherein a ratio of the pulse peak to the rise time during each iteration is less than a ratio of the pulse peak to the rise time of the immediate previous iteration.