Crosstalk compensation engine for reducing signal crosstalk effects within a data signal

1. An apparatus including a crosstalk compensation engine for reducing signal crosstalk effects within a data signal, comprising:

a plurality of input signal terminals that convey a plurality of demultiplexed data signals corresponding to a plurality of multiplexed data signals received via a signal transmission medium, wherein first and second ones of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals correspond to first and second ones of said plurality of multiplexed data signals, respectively, and said first demultiplexed data signal includes a first signal crosstalk product related to an interaction among at least said first and second ones of said plurality of multiplexed data signals within said signal transmission medium;

an output signal terminal that conveys an output data signal corresponding to said first demultiplexed data signal and including a second signal crosstalk product corresponding to said first signal crosstalk product, wherein a ratio of said second signal crosstalk product and said output data signal is substantially less than another ratio of said first signal crosstalk product and said first demultiplexed data signal; and

crosstalk compensation circuitry, coupled between said plurality of input signal terminals and said output signal terminal, that processes said plurality of demultiplexed data signals to provide said output data signal, wherein

said crosstalk compensation circuitry comprises mutiplexing crosstalk compensation circuitry that compensates for signal crosstalk effects resulting from dense wavelength-division multiplexing of a plurality of input data signals used to provide said plurality of multiplexed data signals, and

said multiplexing crosstalk compensation circuitry comprises

signal combining circuitry, coupled to a first one of said plurality of input signal terminals, that receives and subtracts at least one processed signal from said first demultiplexed data signal to provide a resultant signal,

nonlinear processing circuitry, coupled between at least a second one of said plurality of input signal terminals and said signal combining circuitry, that receives and nonlinearly processes at least said second one of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals to provide said at least one processed signal, and

signal slicing circuitry, coupled to said signal combining circuitry, that receives and slices said resultant signal to provide said output data signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said signal slicing circuitry is further coupled to said at least said second one of said plurality of input signal terminals and receives said at least said second one of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals and in response thereto receives and slices said resultant signal to provide said output data signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said signal slicing circuitry comprises:

a first signal slicer, coupled to said at least said second one of said plurality of input signal terminals, that receives and slices said at least said second one of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals to provide a first sliced signal; and

a second signal slicer, coupled to said first signal slicer and said signal combining circuitry, that receives said first sliced signal and in response thereto receives and slices said resultant signal to provide a second sliced signal as said output data signal.

4. A method for reducing signal crosstalk effects within a data signal, comprising:

receiving a plurality of demultiplexed data signals corresponding to a plurality of multiplexed data signals received via a signal transmission medium, wherein first and second ones of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals correspond to first and second ones of said plurality of multiplexed data signals, respectively, and said first demultiplexed data signal includes a first signal crosstalk product related to an interaction among at least said first and second ones of said plurality of multiplexed data signals within said signal transmission medium; and

processing said plurality of demultiplexed data signals and providing an output data signal corresponding to said first demultiplexed data signal and including a second signal crosstalk product corresponding to said first signal crosstalk product, wherein

a ratio of said second signal crosstalk product and said output data signal is substantially less than another ratio of said first signal crosstalk product and said first demultiplexed data signal, and

said processing of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals and providing said output data signal comprises compensating for signal crosstalk effects resulting from dense wavelength-division multiplexing of a plurality of input data signals used to provide said plurality of multiplexed data signals by

receiving and subtracting at least one processed signal from said first demultiplexed data signal and providing a resultant signal,

receiving and nonlinearly processing at least said second one of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals and providing said at least one processed signal, and

receiving and slicing said resultant signal and providing said output data signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising receiving said at least said second one of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals, and wherein said receiving and slicing said resultant signal and providing said output data signal comprises receiving and slicing said resultant signal in response to said at least said second one of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said receiving and slicing said resultant signal in response to said at least said second one of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals comprises:

receiving and slicing said at least said second one of said plurality of demultiplexed data signals and providing a first sliced signal; and

receiving said first sliced signal and in response thereto receiving and slicing said resultant signal and providing a second sliced signal as said output data signal.