Patent ID: 8391349

Claim:
A combination equalizer and automatic gain control circuit (AGC) for high-speed receivers, the combination circuit comprising: a first AGC having an input to accept a communication signal and an input to accept a first control signal, the first AGC modifying the communication signal gain in response to the first control signal, to supply a first stage signal at an output; an equalizer having an input to accept the first stage signal and an input to accept a second control signal, the equalizer modifying frequency characteristics of the first stage signal in response to the second control signal, to supply an equalized signal at an output; a first peak-detector operable to supply the first control signal by comparing the equalized signal amplitude to a predetermined amplitude reference; a second AGC having an input to accept the equalized signal and an input to accept a third control signal, the second AGC modifying the equalized signal gain in response to the third control signal, to supply a second stage signal at an output; and a second peak-detector operable to supply the third control signal by comparing the second stage amplitude to the predetermined amplitude reference.