Transmit amplitude independent adaptive equalizer

1. An equalizer, comprising:

an equalizer core coupled to an input signal from a transmission medium and a gain control input, where the equalizer core applies a frequency dependant gain to the input signal to generate a core output signal, and wherein the frequency dependant gain is controlled by the gain control input and compensates for losses incurred in the transmission medium;

a fixed-swing slicer coupled to the core output signal that converts the core output signal to a digital output signal having a fixed digital output swing; and

a control loop coupled to the core output signal and the digital output signal that normalizes the core and digital output signals with respect to their low-frequency energy levels, compares the normalized core output signal with the normalized digital output signal to approximate a normalized energy level difference, and generates the gain control input;

a first low-band-pass filter coupled to the core output signal that generates a low-frequency core output;

a second low-band-pass filter coupled to the digital output signal that generates a low-frequency digital output;

a first high band-pass filter coupled to the core output signal that generates a high-frequency core output;

a second high-band-pass filter coupled to the digital output signal that generates a high-frequency digital output;

a first envelope detector coupled to the low-frequency core output that generates a first energy-level signal;

a second envelope detector coupled to the low-frequency digital output that generates a second energy-level signal;

a third envelope detector coupled to the high-frequency core output that generates a third energy level-signal;

a fourth envelope detector coupled to the high-frequency digital output that generates a forth energy-level signal;

a first multiplier that multiplies the first energy-level signal with the fourth energy-level signal to generate a first normalized signal; and

a second multiplier that multiplies the second energy-level signal with the third energy-level signal to generate a second normalized signal;

wherein the control loop compares the first normalized signal with the second normalized signal to generate the gain control input.

2. The equalizer of claim 1 , wherein the control loop further comprises:

an adder coupled to the first normalized signal and the second normalized signal that generated the gain control input.

3. The equalizer of claim 2 , wherein:

the first normalized signal is coupled as a positive input to the adder; and

the second normalized signal is coupled as a negative input to the adder.

4. The equalizer of claim 3 , wherein the equalizer core is a multi-stage equalizer core having a plurality of individual equalizer core stages each of which supplies a portion of the frequency dependant gain, and wherein the control loop comprises:

a sequencer coupled to the gain control input that generates a multi-stage gain control input comprising a plurality of individual-stage gain control signals;

wherein the multi-stage gain control input is coupled to the equalizer core instead of the gain control input, and each individual-stage gain control signal controls the portion of the frequency dependant gain supplied by one of the plurality of individual equalizer core stages.

5. The equalizer of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth envelope detectors each comprise a rectifier.

6. The equalizer of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth envelope detectors each comprise a multiplier.

7. A method of setting a frequency dependant gain in an amplitude independent serial digital equalizer, comprising the steps of:

receiving an equalizer input signal from a transmission medium;

providing an equalizer core that receives the equalizer input signal and also receives a gain control signal, and that applies a frequency dependant gain to the equalizer input signal to generate a core output signal, wherein the frequency dependant gain is controlled by the gain control signal and compensates for losses incurred in the transmission medium;

providing a fixed-swing slicer that converts the core output signal to a digital output signal having a fixed signal swing;

isolating a low frequency bandwidth portion of the core output signal;

detecting a low band-limited core signal energy level for the low frequency bandwidth portion of the core output signal;

isolating a high frequency bandwidth portion of the core output signal;

detecting a high band-limited core signal energy level for the high frequency bandwidth portion of the core output signal;

isolating a low frequency bandwidth portion of the digital output signal;

detecting a low band-limited digital signal energy level for the low frequency portion of the digital output signal;

isolating a high frequency bandwidth portion of the digital output signal;

detecting a high band-limited digital signal energy level for the high frequency bandwidth portion of the digital output signal;

multiplying the low band-limited core signal energy level by the high band-limited digital signal energy level to generate a first normalized energy-level signal;

multiplying the high band-limited core signal energy level by the low band-limited digital signal energy level to generate a second normalized energy-level signal;

setting the gain control signal proportional to the difference between the first and second normalized energy-level signals.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

the low frequency bandwidth portions of the core output signal and the digital output signal correspond to a frequency range at which the equalizer input signal incurs minimal transmission losses in the transmission medium; and

the high frequency bandwidth portions of the core output signal and the digital output signal correspond to a frequency range at which the equalizer input signal is attenuated.