Transceiver spectrum control for cross-talk mitigation

• US 8,804,798 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aquantia Corporation (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Malkin, Moshe, Tellado, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Don N
• Application Number:
  US13/235,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20130070823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/220, 375/222, 375/260, 375/285
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03343 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03878 Line equalisers; line build-out devices

Abstract

Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, and systems for preprocessing a transmit signal of a transceiver are disclosed. One method includes estimating parameters of a communication link between the transceiver and a link partner transceiver, estimating cross-talk coupling of the transceiver to at least one other transceiver, and adjusting at least one of a transmit power or a transmit signal waveform based on the estimated parameters and estimated cross-talk. One apparatus includes a transceiver that is operative to obtain parameters of a communication link between the transceiver and a link partner transceiver, and to obtain a representation of cross-talk coupling of the transceiver to at least one other transceiver. Further, a controller of the transceiver is operative to adjust at least one of a transmit power level or a transmit signal waveform based on the estimated parameters and estimated cross-talk.

Claims

1. A method of preprocessing a transmit signal for transmission by a sub-transceiver of an Ethernet transceiver, the Ethernet transceiver including a plurality of the sub-transceivers, the method comprising:

exchanging parameters of a communication link between the Ethernet transceiver and a link partner transceiver;

estimating cross-talk coupling of the Ethernet transceiver to at least one other transceiver;

adjusting at least one of a transmission protocol or a data rate based on the exchanged parameters; and

independently adjusting a transmit power level of each of the plurality of the sub-transceivers based on the parameters, the adjusted transmission protocol or data rate, and estimated cross-talk.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging the parameters comprises measuring signal quality parameters at the Ethernet transceiver and the link partner transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging the parameters comprises the link partner transceiver communicating information to the Ethernet transceiver, and the Ethernet transceiver communicating information to the link partner transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanged parameters are based on characteristics of the communication link, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of a cable length, a cable quality, cabling configurations, a connector type, a transformer type, a cable type, and environmental conditions of a cable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the transmit power comprises changing the transmit power level if the signal quality is above a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging parameters of the communication link comprises estimating the parameters while at least one of the sub-transceivers or at least one corresponding link partner sub-transceiver is not transmitting.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising estimating cross-talk parameters of the Ethernet transceiver, wherein the cross-talk parameters are estimated when at least one of the sub-transceivers is not transmitting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging the parameters comprises determining a representation of cross-talk at another transceiver, and adjusting the transmit power level based on the representation of the crosstalk.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the representation comprises an estimate of cross-talk interference the Ethernet transceiver generates at another transceiver or at another sub-transceiver, and the representation is estimated using at least one of a formula or a table, wherein the representation is also determined based on a frequency response or an impulse response of the transmit signal waveform.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the representation is estimated based on cross-talk measured by the Ethernet transceiver.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the representation is received from another source.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the representation is estimated based on characteristics of the communication link, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of a cable type, a cable quality, a connector type, a cable bundling configuration, a transformer type.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters are exchanged over multiple instances of transceiver operation, and further comprising generating and maintaining a network mapping of cross-talk information, and a retrieving of the network mapping during later operation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises adaptively adjusting at least one of the transmission protocol or the data rate.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the Ethernet transceiver initiating a state in which the transceiver only transmits a low duty cycle training sequence when the Ethernet transceiver is not transmitting data.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the Ethernet transceiver to other transceivers, and managing transmission of training sequences of the Ethernet transceiver and the other transceivers to reduce transmission overlap of the training sequences of the Ethernet transceiver and the other transceivers.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring and dynamically adjusting the transmit power level based on the exchanged parameters, and further comprising changing the transmit power level during link operation in accordance with changes in the exchanged parameters.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dynamic adjusting comprises adjusting at a predetermined rate.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined rate of dynamically adjusting includes an adjustment granularity and an adjustment time-scale.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined rate is selected to avoid degradation of the communication link.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined rate is selected based on a rate that adaptive filters of the link partner transceiver are adjusted, wherein the rate that adaptive filters of the link partner transceiver are adjusted is determined from startup information or communicated to the Ethernet transceiver from the link partner transceiver.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined rate is selected to allow the Ethernet transceiver to maintain a link quality of the communication link greater than a threshold.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising joint coordination of the Ethernet transceiver and the link partner transceiver for determining how to adjust the at least one of a transmit power or a transmit signal waveform of both transceivers based on the estimated parameters of at least one of the transceivers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the joint coordination comprises the Ethernet transceiver and the link partner transceiver sharing link information and joint waveform shaping information, and the adjusting of at least one of the transmit power or the transmit signal waveform based on the estimated parameters is based on aiding a victim transceiver suffering from cross-talk from at least one of the transceiver or the link partner transceiver while maintaining a quality of the communication link above a threshold.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising the link partner transceiver indicating to the Ethernet transceiver a desired signal shaping or pre-coding based on effects of cross-talk coupling from other transceivers.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the Ethernet transceiver sensing cross-talk signals;

the Ethernet transceiver processing the sensed cross-talk signals; and

the Ethernet transceiver cancelling coupled cross-talk signals at the Ethernet transceiver with the processed sensed cross-talk signals.

27. A method of preprocessing a transmit signal of an Ethernet transceiver having a plurality of sub-transceivers, the method comprising:

exchanging parameters of a communication link between the Ethernet transceiver and a link partner transceiver;

adjusting at least one of a transmission protocol or a data rate based on the exchanged parameters;

independently adjusting a transmit power level for each of the sub-transceivers based on the exchanged parameters and the adjusted transmission protocol or data rate; and

estimating cross-talk coupling between sub-transceivers during states of operation of the Ethernet transceiver when a subset of the sub-transceivers is transmitting.

28. An Ethernet transceiver, comprising:

a receiver for obtaining parameters of a communication link between the Ethernet transceiver and a link partner transceiver;

the receiver obtaining cross-talk coupling information of the Ethernet transceiver to at least one other transceiver;

the receiver adjusting at least one of a transmission protocol or a data rate based on the information;

a controller operative to adjust a transmit power level based on the estimated parameters, the adjusted transmission protocol or data rate, and cross-talk; and

wherein the Ethernet transceiver includes a plurality of sub-transceivers, and wherein each of the plurality of the sub-transceivers independently adjusts the transmit power level.

29. The Ethernet transceiver of claim 28, wherein the receiver obtains the parameters of the communication link by estimating the parameters while at least one of the sub-transceivers or at least one corresponding link partner sub-transceiver is not transmitting.

30. The Ethernet transceiver of claim 28, wherein the receiver estimates the parameters over multiple instances of transceiver operation, and wherein the controller is operative to generate and maintain a network mapping of cross-talk information, and a retrieving of the network mapping during later operation.

31. The Ethernet transceiver of claim 28, further comprising the transceiver initiating a state in which the transceiver only transmits a low duty cycle training sequence when the Ethernet transceiver is not transmitting data.

32. The Ethernet transceiver of claim 28, further comprising synchronizing the Ethernet transceiver to other transceivers, and managing transmission of training sequences of the Ethernet transceiver to reduce transmission overlap of the training sequences of the Ethernet transceiver and training sequences of other transceivers.

33. The Ethernet transceiver of claim 28, further comprising measuring and dynamically adjusting a transmit power level based on the estimated parameters, and further comprising changing the transmit power during link operation in accordance with changes in the estimated parameters.