Self-calibration procedure in physical layer transceiver for home telephone wire network

• US 7,215,763 B1
• Filed: 06/21/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Keller, Philip, Nayler, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): HAROLD, JEFFEREY F
• Application Number:
  US09/336,709
• Time in Patent Office: 2,878 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/220, 375/229, 375/231, 375/1.01, 375/26.01, 375/27.01, 375/93.01, 375/93.05, 375/399.01
• US Class Current: 379/399.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing

Abstract

A novel method of configuring a physical layer transceiver for providing data communications via residential wiring. A transmit section of the transceiver produces a pulse signal having selected amplitude. This pulse signal received by an input circuit in a receiver section of the transceiver is used for adjusting the gain of the input circuit to a fixed optimum level. In particular, the gain of the input circuit may be adjusted in response to at least one pulse. A calibration circuit of the transceiver includes a comparator for comparing the receive signal produced at the output of the input circuit, with a threshold level, and controller that supplies the input circuit with a gain control value, and sets the threshold level. The controller reduce the gain control value to decrease the gain of the input circuit when the receive signal exceeds the threshold level. The gain control value is increased to raise the gain of the input circuit when the receive signal is less than the threshold level.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a transceiver for providing data communications via residential telephone line wiring, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a pulse signal having a selected amplitude by a transmit section of the transceiver, receiving the pulse signal by an input circuit in a receiver section of the transceiver to produce a receive signal representing the pulse signal, and

adjusting gain of the input circuit so as to produce the receive signal at a predetermined level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gain of the input circuit is adjusted to a fixed level during initialization of the transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted pulse signal comprises a plurality of access identification pulses preceding data pulses to identify a transmitting network station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the gain of the input circuit is adjusted in response to at least one of the access identification pulses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting gain comprises comparing amplitude of the receive signal with a preset threshold level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the gain is reduced if the amplitude of the receive signal exceeds the threshold level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gain is increased if the amplitude of the receive signal is less that the threshold level.

8. A transceiver for providing data communications over residential telephone line wiring, comprising:

an input circuit for receiving an incoming signal,

an output circuit for transmitting a transmit signal having a selected amplitude, and

a calibration circuit responsive to a receive signal produced by the input circuit in response to the transmit signal for adjusting gain of the input circuit so as to set the receive signal to a predetermined level.

9. The transceiver of claim 8, wherein the input circuit includes an input amplifier for amplifying the incoming signal and an envelope detector for producing an envelope signal representing the incoming signal.

10. The transceiver of claim 9, wherein the calibration circuit is configured for adjusting gain of the input amplifier.

11. The transceiver of claim 8, wherein the transmit signal comprises a plurality of identification pulses for identifying a transmitting station.

12. The transceiver of claim 11, wherein the calibration circuit is configured to adjust the gain of the input circuit, when the input circuit responds to at least one of the identification pulses having the selected amplitude.

13. The transceiver of claim 12, wherein the calibration circuit comprises a comparator arranged at an output of the input circuit for comparing the receive signal produced in response to the at least one of the identification pulses, with a threshold level.

14. The transceiver of claim 13, wherein the calibration circuit further comprises a controller for supplying the input circuit with a gain control value.

15. The transceiver of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured for reducing the gain control value to decrease the gain of the input circuit when the receive signal exceeds the threshold level.

16. The transceiver of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured for increasing the gain control value to raise the gain of the input circuit when the receive signal is less than the threshold level.

17. The transceiver of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured for setting the threshold level.