Method and system for adaptively setting a transmitter filter for a high speed serial link transmitter

1. A method for communication, the method comprising: in a communication device comprising a host circuit and an optical module, the host circuit comprises a first plurality of transmitters and a first plurality of receivers, the optical module comprises a second plurality of transmitters and a second plurality of receivers, and the host circuit and the optical module are communicatively coupled by a management interface connecting the host circuit to the optical module, an electrical transmit path connecting the first plurality of transmitters to the second plurality of receivers, and an electrical receive path connecting the second plurality of transmitters to the first plurality of receivers:

determining, in said optical module, a signal quality associated with individual host transmitter filters associated with the first plurality of transmitters in said host circuit;

communicating said determined signal quality from said optical module to said host circuit via the management interface; and

adjusting, in said host circuit, one or more settings of the individual host transmitter filters based on said determined signal quality.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said management interface comprises at least one of a management data input/output (MDIO) interface or an inter-integrated circuit (I 2 C) interface.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the individual host transmitter filters comprise a pre-emphasis filter.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:

limiting, in said optical module, a signal received from the individual host transmitter filters;

comparing said limited signal with said signal; and

generating an error associated with said signal based on said comparison.

5. The method according to claim 4 , comprising squaring, in said optical module, said generated error.

6. The method according to claim 5 , comprising generating, in said optical module, a mean square error (MSE) by low-pass filtering said squared error.

7. The method according to claim 6 , comprising determining, in said optical module, said signal quality based on said generated mean square error (MSE).

8. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:

determining, in said host circuit, a signal quality associated with individual ones of a plurality of module transmitter filters associated with the second plurality of transmitters in said optical module;

communicating said determined signal quality associated with the individual ones of the module transmitter filters from said host circuit to said optical module, via said management interface; and

controlling, in said optical module, configuration of the individual ones of the module transmitter filters based on said determined signal quality associated with the individual ones of the module transmitter filters.

9. The method according to claim 8 , comprising determining, in said host circuit, said signal quality associated with the individual ones of the module transmitter filters based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with a signal received from the individual ones of the module transmitter filters.

10. A system for communication, the system comprising: one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof for use in a communication device, said communication device comprising a host circuit and an optical module, wherein the host circuit comprises a first plurality of transmitters and a first plurality of receivers, the optical module comprises a second plurality of transmitters and a second plurality of receivers, the host circuit and the optical module are communicatively coupled by:

a management interface connecting the host circuit to the optical module;

an electrical transmit path connecting the first plurality of transmitters to the second plurality of receivers; and

an electrical receive path connecting the second plurality of transmitters to the first plurality of receivers; and

said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are operable to:

determine, in said optical module, a signal quality associated with individual host transmitter filters associated with the first plurality of transmitters in said host circuit;

communicate said determined signal quality from said optical module to said host circuit via the management interface; and

control, in said host circuit, configuration of the individual host transmitter filters based on said determined signal quality.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said management interface comprises at least one of a management data input/output (MDIO) interface or an inter-integrated circuit (I 2 C) interface.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the individual host transmitter filters comprise pre-emphasis filter.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are further operable to:

limit, in said optical module, a signal received from the individual host transmitter filters;

compare said limited signal with said signal; and

generate an error associated with said signal based on said comparison.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are further operable to square, in said optical module, said generated error.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are further operable to generate, in said optical module, a mean square error (MSE) by low-pass filtering said squared error.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are further operable to determine, in said optical module, said signal quality based on said generated mean square error (MSE).

17. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are further operable to:

determine, in said host circuit, a signal quality associated with individual ones of a plurality of module transmitter filters associated with the second plurality of transmitters in said optical module;

communicate said determined signal quality associated with the individual ones of the module transmitter filters from said host circuit to said optical module, via said management interface; and

control, in said optical module, configuration of the individual ones of the module transmitter filters based on said determined signal quality associated with the individual ones of the module transmitter filters.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the individual ones of the module transmitter filters comprise a de-emphasis filter.

19. The system according to claim 17 , wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are further operable to determine, in said host circuit, said signal quality associated with the individual ones of the module transmitter filters based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with a signal received from the individual ones of the module transmitter filters.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program that, when executed by processing circuitry in a communication device comprising a host circuit and an optical module, wherein the host circuit comprises a first plurality of transmitters and a first plurality of receivers, the optical module comprises a second plurality of transmitters and a second plurality of receivers, and the host circuit and the optical module are communicatively coupled by a management interface connecting the host circuit to the optical module, an electrical transmit path connecting the first plurality of transmitters to the second plurality of receivers, and an electrical receive path connecting the second plurality of transmitters to the first plurality of receivers, causes the processing circuitry to:

determine, in said optical module, a signal quality associated with individual host transmitter filters associated with the first plurality of transmitters in said host circuit;

communicate said determined signal quality from said optical module to said host circuit via the management interface; and

adjust, in said host circuit, one or more settings of the individual host transmitter filters based on said determined signal quality.