Patent ID: 7203233

Claim:
An apparatus including fractionally-spaced signal taps for use in an adaptive signal equalizer in which an equalization feedback signal adaptively equalizes a data signal to form a pre-slicer data signal that is sliced to provide a post-slicer data signal, comprising: a first signal terminal that conveys a first data signal corresponding to said post-slicer data signal and having a data symbol period associated therewith; a second signal terminal that conveys a second data signal corresponding to said first data signal and delayed by a fraction of said data symbol period; fractional delay circuitry, coupled between said first and second signal terminals, that receives and delays said first data signal to provide said second data signal; control circuitry, coupled to said first and second signal terminals, that receives said first and second data signals, and an error signal indicative of a difference between said pre-slicer and post-slicer data signals, and in response thereto provides first and second weighting signals, wherein said first weighting signal corresponds to a correlation factor which is indicative of a degree of correlation between said first and second data signals, and said second weighting signal corresponds to a complement of said correlation factor; signal weighting circuitry, coupled to said first and second signal terminals and said control circuitry, that receives said first and second weighting signals and in response thereto receives and weights said first and second data signals to provide first and second weighted signals; and signal combining circuitry, coupled to said signal weighting circuitry, that receives and combines said first and second weighted signals to provide an equalization feedback signal.