Patent ID: 8855217

Claim:
A method for operating a wired link receiver in a calibration mode of operation, comprising: receiving from a wired link a baseband signal that includes data transmitted at an initial data rate by a transmitter; after receiving the baseband signal with data transmitted at the initial data rate, continuing to receive the baseband signal with data transmitted at an increased data rate that is a non-integer multiple of the initial data rate; and iteratively: determining a performance metric of the wired link, wherein the performance metric comprises at least one of a timing margin corresponding to an error rate of the wired link and a voltage margin corresponding to the error rate of the wired link, and signaling, to the transmitter, a change in a voltage swing of the transmitter output to the wired link, the performance metric of the wired link at a final iteration corresponding to an error rate of the wired link that is no greater than a set error rate.