Patent ID: 7408337

Claim:
An apparatus to compensate for loss in a transmission path, comprising: a circuit block to incorporate a time constant into a signal transmitted via the transmission path, the time constant for counteracting at least part of inherent time constants that contribute to loss in the transmission path; wherein the circuit block comprises: a resistive circuit; and a capacitive circuit, the capacitive circuit and the resistive circuit together contributing to the time constant, the capacitive circuit comprising plural capacitors that are each switchable; wherein an amount of compensation provided by the apparatus corresponds, at least in part, to the loss in the transmission path; and a first emitter-follower transistor connected to the circuit block and connected through a gain resistor to another emitter-follower transistor to act as a amplifier, a frequency response of the amplifier being adjustable via time constants that are switchable in parallel with the gain resistor.