Patent ID: 7729453

Claim:
A system for dynamically adjusting the slicing level for burst mode optical receivers, comprising: a top-hold circuit configured to identify a maximum level of a data signal received from a photodetector, wherein the data signal embodies a data packet containing bits, and wherein the top-hold circuit is initially charged to the lowest possible maximum signal level, the top-hold circuit comprising a first capacitor and being configured to charge the first capacitor to the maximum level of the data signal, the top-hold circuit also comprising a first diode to be coupled between a data signal input and the first capacitor; a bottom-hold circuit configured to identify a minimum level of a data signal, wherein the bottom-hold circuit is initially charged to the highest possible minimum signal level, the bottom-hold circuit comprising a second capacitor and being configured to charge the second capacitor to the minimum level of the data signal, the bottom-hold circuit also comprising a second diode to be coupled between the data signal input and the second capacitor, the second diode being of an opposite polarity to the first diode with respect to the data signal input; and a slicing level circuit configured to identify and select a slicing level between the minimum and maximum levels of the data signal; the system further comprising a first log differential operational amplifier to be coupled between the first diode and the data signal input and a second log differential operational amplifier to be coupled between the second diode and the data signal input, wherein receipt of each new data signal causes re-initialization of the top-hold circuit to the lowest possible maximum signal level and the bottom-hold circuit to the highest possible minimum signal level.