Patent ID: 8718127

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an equalizer configured to process an input signal transmitted over a channel, the equalizer comprising: a first node configured to receive the input signal; a second node; a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) having an adjustable gain, the PGA having an input electrically coupled to the first node, and an output electrically coupled to a third node; a high pass filter (HPF) having an input electrically coupled to the third node, and an output electrically coupled to the second node; and a control block configured to adjust one or more of the PGA or the HPF at least partly in response to a PGA output signal from the PGA or an HPF output signal from the HPF, wherein the HPF comprises one or more unit stages, wherein each of the unit stages has a frequency response for a signal to be boosted by the unit stage, wherein at least one of the unit stages has a first mode of operation in which the unit stage has unity gain, and a second mode of operation in which the unit stage provides a high-frequency boost.