Method and apparatus for implementing a channel correction in a digital data link

1. A method for implementing channel equalization on a digital communications path, the method comprising:

in a transmitter, converting an outgoing bit stream into symbols to be sent,

compensating for a channel distortion with a Tomlinson-Harashima precoder in the transmitter,

sending precoded symbols to a communications channel, a signal represented by the precoded symbols constituting a channel output signal at a destination end of the communication channel, and

in a receiver, forming estimated symbol values on the basis of the channel output signal and recovering the bit stream on the basis of the estimated symbol values,

wherein, during a data transmission state, the method further comprises:

performing adjustment of tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder based on content values of a delay line of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder and a value of an error variable that is dependent on the difference between a signal measurable in the receiver and one of the following:

a sent precoded symbol value if the value of the error variable is calculated in the transmitter, and

an estimated symbol value used by the receiver to recover the bit stream if the value of the error variable is calculated in the receiver,

wherein said measurable signal is measured in the receiver at a point where an absolute value of said difference is minimized when the adjustment is in a steady state, and

synchronizing the error variable with the content values of the delay line of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder with the aid of line frame synchronization information.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the value of the error variable is computed at the receiver.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the value of the error variable is computed in the transmitter.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the channel distortion is compensated in the receiver with a linear equalizer, and an output signal of said linear equalizer is processed to obtain the value of the error variable that is used for the adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder and for adjustment of said linear equalizer.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein

the channel distortion is compensated in the receiver with a linear equalizer and with a decision-feedback equalizer,

an output signal of said linear equalizer is processed to obtain the value of the error variable that is used for adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder, and

a value of another error variable associated with an input signal of a receiver detector is used for adjusting the linear equalizer and the decision-feedback equalizer.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein

the channel distortion is compensated for in the receiver with a decision-feedback equalizer and with two cascaded linear equalizers that are comprised of a first linear equalizer and a second linear equalizer,

an output signal of said first linear equalizer is processed to obtain the value of the error variable that is used for the adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder and for adjustment of said first linear equalizer, and

a value of another error variable associated with an input signal of a receiver detector is used for adjusting the second linear equalizer and the decision-feedback equalizer.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein

the channel distortion is compensated in the receiver with a decision-feedback equalizer and with two parallel linear equalizers that are comprised of a first linear equalizer and a second linear equalizer,

an output signal of said first linear equalizer is processed to obtain the value of the error variable that is used for the adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder and for adjustment of said first linear equalizer,

an output of said second linear equalizer is coupled to an entity formed by a receiver detector and the decision-feedback equalizer, and

a value of another error variable associated with an input signal of the receiver detector is used for adjusting said second linear equalizer and the decision-feedback equalizer.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder is performed using a least-mean-squares algorithm based on the content values of the delay line of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder and the value of the error variable.

9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein adjustment of a tap coefficient v i of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder is performed using a tap coefficient control algorithm written as v i new =v i +μb k−i *u k where v i new is an updated value of the tap coefficient, v i is the value of the tap coefficient prior to the update operation, b k−i * is a conjugate value of a content value of the precoder delay line and, u k is the value of the error variable and μ is a control step.

10. A system for implementing channel equalization on a digital communications path, the system comprising:

a transmitter including means for converting a bit stream into symbols to be sent and a Tomlinson-Harashima precoder for compensating for a channel distortion,

a communications channel for transferring precoded symbols, a signal represented by the precoded symbols constituting a channel output signal at a destination end of the communications channel, and

a receiver including signal processing means for forming estimated symbol values on the basis of the channel output signal and recovering the bit stream on the basis of the estimated symbol values,

a device for performing adjustment of tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder during a data transmission state based on content values of a delay line of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder and a value of such an error variable that is dependent on a difference between a signal measurable in the receiver and one of the following:

a sent precoded symbol value if the value of the error variable is calculated in the transmitter, and

an estimated symbol value used by the receiver to recover the bit stream if the value of the error variable is calculated in the receiver,

wherein said measurable signal is measured in the receiver at a point where an absolute value of said difference is minimized when the adjustment is in a steady state,

a device for determining the value of the error variable, and

a device for synchronizing the error variable with the content values of the delay line of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder with the aid of line frame synchronization information.

11. A system according to claim 10 , wherein the receiver includes a linear equalizer and a device for processing an output signal of said linear equalizer to obtain the value of the error variable that is used for the adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder and for adjustment of said linear equalizer.

12. A system according to claim 10 , wherein the receiver includes a linear equalizer, a decision-feedback equalizer, a device for processing an output signal of said linear equalizer to obtain the value of the error variable for the adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder, and a device for adjusting the linear equalizer and the decision-feedback equalizer with a value of another error variable associated with an input signal of a receiver detector.

13. A system according to claim 10 , wherein the receiver includes a decision-feedback equalizer, two cascaded linear equalizers that are comprised of a first linear equalizer and a second linear equalizer, a device for processing an output signal of said first linear equalizer to obtain the value of the error variable for the adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder, a device for adjusting said first linear equalizer with the value of the error variable, a device for coupling an output of said second linear equalizer to an entity formed by a receiver detector and the decision-feedback equalizer, and a device for adjusting the second linear equalizer and the decision-feedback equalizer with a value of another error variable associated with an input signal of the receiver detector.

14. A system according to claim 10 , wherein the receiver includes a decision-feedback equalizer, two paralleled linear equalizers that are comprised of a first linear equalizer and a second linear equalizer, a device for processing an output signal of said first linear equalizer to obtain the value of the error variable for the adjustment of the tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder, a device for adjusting said first linear equalizer with the value of the error variable, a device for coupling an output of said second linear equalizer to an entity formed by a receiver detector and the decision-feedback equalizer, and a device for adjusting the second linear equalizer and the decision-feedback equalizer with a value of another error variable associated with an input signal of the receiver detector.

15. A transmitter for implementing channel equalization on a digital communications path, the transmitter comprising:

a device for converting a bit stream into symbols,

a device for sending the symbols to a channel on the digital communications path;

a Tomlinson-Harashima precoder for compensating for a channel distortion,

a device for performing adjustment of tap coefficients of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder (TML) during a data transmission state based on content values of a delay line of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder and on such an error variable an absolute value of which attains its minimum when the adjustment is in a steady state,

a device for receiving from a reverse direction auxiliary channel a signal measured in a receiver,

a device for determining a value of the error variable based on a difference between received measured signal and a value of one of the sent symbols, and

a device for synchronizing the error variable with the content values of the delay line of the Tomlinson-Harashima precoder with the aid of line frame synchronization information.