Equalization in high-speed data channel having sparse impulse response

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12021670-B2
Application number	US-202318333248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2023
Priority date	Oct 23, 2020
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A physical layer transceiver, for connecting a host device to a wireline channel medium that is divided into a total number of link segments, includes a host interface for coupling to a host device, a line interface for coupling to the wireline channel medium, and feed-forward equalization (FFE) circuitry operatively coupled to the line interface to add back, into a signal, components that were scattered in time. Respective individual filter segments are selectably configurable, by adjustment of respective delay lines, to correspond to respective individual link segments. The FFE circuitry also includes control circuitry configured to detect a signal energy peak in at least one particular link segment and, upon detection of the signal energy peak in the particular link segment, configure a respective one of the respective individual filter segments, by adjustment of a respective delay line, to correspond to the respective particular link segment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive physical layer transceiver for connecting an automotive functional module to an automotive wireline channel medium that is divided into a total number of link segments and is subject to reflections at varying locations at least from one or both of (a) kinking or bending in an automotive environment, or (b) connectors, the physical layer transceiver comprising:
a device interface for coupling to the automotive functional module;
a line interface for coupling to the automotive wireline channel medium; and
rover filter circuitry for selectably filtering interference cause by the reflections at the varying locations, the rover filter circuitry comprising:
a plurality of rover filter segments each of which is selectably configurable, using a respective delay line, to filter a respective selectable link segment of the total number of link segments, and
control circuitry configured to:
detect, in at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments, a signal energy peak from one of the reflections, by selectively advancing an unused rover filter segment of the plurality of rover filter segments through the link segments by adjustment of the respective delay line of the unused rover filter segment, and measuring transmission conditions of link segments of the total number of link segments as the unused rover filter segment passes through the link segments, and
configure one of the rover filter segments to filter the particular link segment where reflection interference is occurring.

2. The automotive physical layer transceiver of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to configure the one of the rover filter segments to filter the particular link segment where reflection interference is occurring, by adjustment of its respective delay line.

3. The automotive physical layer transceiver of claim 1 wherein the plurality of rover filter segments is fewer in number than a total number of link segments of the automotive wireline channel medium.

4. The automotive physical layer transceiver of claim 2 wherein the control circuitry is configured to move the one of the rover filter segments to filter the particular one of the link segments where reflection interference is occurring by adjusting the respective delay line of the one of the filter segments to correspond to the particular one of the link segment where reflection interference is occurring.

5. The automotive physical layer transceiver of claim 1 comprising:
correlation circuitry configured to calculate a correlation between received data and one or more errors in the received data; wherein:
the control circuitry is further configured to detect the signal energy peak in at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments by determining, from the correlation, the signal energy peak in at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments.

6. The automotive physical layer transceiver of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to, upon detection of the signal energy peak in a respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments, adjust filter gain at the respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments.

7. The automotive physical layer transceiver of claim 6 wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust filter gain at the respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments by configuring at least one additional respective one of the rover filter segments in the plurality of rover filter segments to correspond to the respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments.

8. The automotive physical layer transceiver of claim 3 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, when the link segments in which signal energy peaks are detected are fewer in number than the plurality of rover filter segments, power down ones of the plurality of rover filter segments that are not configured to correspond to the respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments.

9. A method of filtering an automotive wireline channel medium that is divided into a total number of link segments and is subject to reflections at varying locations at least from one or both of (a) kinking or bending in an automotive environment, or (b) connectors, and rover filter circuitry for filtering interference caused by the reflections at the varying locations, the rover filter circuitry including a plurality of rover filter segments each of which is selectably configurable, using a respective delay line, to filter a respective selectable link segment of the total number of link segments, the method comprising:
detecting, in at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments, a signal energy peak from one of the reflections, by selectively advancing an unused rover filter segment of the plurality of rover filter segments through the link segments by adjustment of a respective delay line, and measuring transmission conditions of link segments of the total number of link segments as the unused rover filter segment passes through the link segments; and
configuring one of the rover filter segments to filter the particular link segment where reflection interference is occurring.

10. The method of filtering an automotive wireline channel medium according to claim 9 wherein configuring the one of the rover filter segments comprises, upon detection of the signal energy peak in the particular link segment, moving the one of the rover filter segments, by adjustment of its respective delay line, to correspond to the particular link segment.

11. The automotive physical layer transceiver of claim 9 wherein detecting the signal energy peak in at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments further comprises determining the signal energy peak in at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments from a correlation between received data and one or more errors in the received data.

12. The method of filtering an automotive wireline channel medium according to claim 9 further comprising, upon detection of the signal energy peak in a respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments, adjusting filter gain at the respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments.

13. The method of filtering an automotive wireline channel medium according to claim 12 wherein adjusting filter gain at the respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments comprises adjusting filter gain at the respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments by configuring at least one additional respective one of the rover filter segments in the plurality of rover filter segments to correspond to the respective one of the at least one particular link segment of the total number of link segments.

14. The method of filtering an automotive wireline channel medium according to claim 9 further comprising, when the link segments in which signal energy peaks are detected are fewer in number than the plurality of rover filter segments, powering down ones of the plurality of rover filter segments that are not configured to correspond to one of the link segments in which signal energy peaks are detected.

15. An automotive network, comprising:
an automotive wireline

Assignees

• Marvell Asia Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Razavi Majomard Seid Alireza
• Shen David
• Jonsson Ragnar Hlynur

Classifications

• H04B3/14

  characterised by the equalising network used · CPC title

• H04L25/03044

  using fractionally spaced delay lines or combinations of fractionally integrally spaced taps · CPC title

• H04L2025/03579

  Modifying the tap spacing · CPC title

• H04L25/03885 Primary

  adaptive · CPC title

• H04L25/03987 Primary

  Equalisation for sparse channels · CPC title