Apparatus for frequency and timing recovery in a communication device

1. Apparatus for recovering timing of data input to a receiver, comprising:

an interpolator which receives the input data and generates interpolated-data responsive to an interpolation coefficient;

a feed-forward equalizer (FFE), having at least three taps, each tap comprising a multiplier which is coupled to multiply a respective input sample by a respective adaptive equalization coefficient, the taps being arranged in sequence so that the input sample to each of the taps, except to a first tap in the sequence, is delayed relative to a preceding tap in the sequence, the equalizer receiving and equalizing the interpolated-data so as to generate equalized-data therefrom; and

a timing sensor which adjusts the interpolation coefficient responsive to a third adaptive equalization coefficient comprised in the adaptive equalization coefficients.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising:

an adder which receives the equalized-data from the FFE and a feedback correction, and which generates a summed output responsive thereto;

a slicer which receives the summed output and which generates a slicer output responsive thereto; and

a decision feedback equalizer (DFE), which generates the feedback correction responsive to the slicer output and to a first adaptive DFE coefficient.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the timing sensor adjusts the interpolation coefficient responsive to the first adaptive DFE coefficient.

4. Apparatus for recovering timing of data input to a receiver, comprising:

an interpolator comprising:

a first interpolation filter, which is coupled to receive a first subset of the input data and to interpolate the input data in the first subset, responsive to an interpolation coefficient, so as to generate a first partial output; and

a second interpolation filter, which is coupled to receive a second subset of the input data and to interpolate the input data in the second subset, responsive to the interpolation coefficient, so as to generate a second partial output; and

a timing sensor which is coupled to make a comparison between the first and second partial outputs and to adjust the interpolation coefficient responsive to the comparison.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first and the second subsets comprise equal numbers of the input data, and wherein at least part of the second subset is temporally displaced relative to the first subset.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 , and comprising an adder which sums the first and the second partial outputs so as to generate an interpolated output of the input data.

7. Apparatus for recovering timing of data input to a receiver, comprising:

an interpolator which receives the input data and generates interpolated-data responsive to an interpolation coefficient;

an adaptive equalizer which receives and equalizes the interpolated-data responsive to an adaptive equalizer coefficient; and

a timing sensor comprising:

an energy sensor which generates a measure of energy absorbed by the interpolator; and

a coefficient sensor which receives an indication of the adaptive equalizer coefficient,

the timing sensor being adapted to make a selection between the measure of the energy and the indication of the adaptive equalizer coefficient, and to generate the interpolation coefficient responsive to the selection.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the interpolator is adapted to generate a partial output responsive to a subset of the input data, and wherein the measure of the energy comprises a function of the partial output.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the indication of the adaptive equalizer coefficient comprises a value of the adaptive equalizer coefficient.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the timing sensor is adapted to make the selection responsive to an operating state of the receiver.

11. A method for recovering timing of data input to a receiver, comprising:

interpolating the input data responsive to an interpolation coefficient so as to generate interpolated-data;

receiving and equalizing the interpolated-data in a feed-forward equalizer (FFE) so as to generate equalized-data therefrom, the equalizer having at least three taps, each tap comprising a multiplier which is coupled to multiply a respective input sample by a respective adaptive equalization coefficient, the taps being arranged in sequence so that the input sample to each of the taps, except to a first tap in the sequence, is delayed relative to a preceding tap in the sequence; and

adjusting the interpolation coefficient responsive to a third adaptive equalization coefficient comprised in the adaptive equalization coefficients.

12. A method according to claim 11 , and further comprising:

generating a summed output of the equalized-data from the FFE and a feedback correction;

generating a slicer output from the summed output; and

generating in a decision feedback equalizer (DFE), the feedback correction responsive to the slicer output and to a first adaptive DFE coefficient.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein adjusting the interpolation coefficient comprises adjusting the interpolation coefficient responsive to the first adaptive DFE coefficient.

14. A method for recovering timing of data input to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a first subset of the input data;

interpolating the input data in the first subset, responsive to an interpolation coefficient, so as to generate a first partial output;

receiving a second subset of the input data;

interpolating the input data in the second subset, responsive to the interpolation coefficient, so as to generate a second partial output;

making a comparison between the first and second partial outputs; and

adjusting the interpolation coefficient responsive to the comparison.

15. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the first and the second subsets comprise equal numbers of the input data, and wherein at least part of the second subset is temporally displaced relative to the first subset.

16. A method according to claim 14 , and comprising summing the first and the second partial outputs so as to generate an interpolated output of the input data.

17. A method for recovering timing of data input to a receiver, comprising:

receiving the input data;

interpolating the input data responsive to an interpolation coefficient so as to generate interpolated-data;

receiving and equalizing the interpolated-data responsive to an adaptive equalizer coefficient;

making a selection between a measure of energy absorbed responsive to interpolating the input data and an indication of the adaptive equalizer coefficient; and

generating the interpolation coefficient responsive to the selection.

18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein interpolating the input data comprises generating a partial interpolation output responsive to a subset of the input data, and wherein the measure of the energy comprises a function of the partial interpolation output.

19. A method according to claim 17 , wherein the indication of the adaptive equalizer coefficient comprises a value of the adaptive equalizer coefficient.

20. A method according to claim 17 , wherein making the selection comprises making the selection responsive to an operating state of the receiver.