TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to a method for receiving data, in particular, to a method for receiving data capable of adjusting gain in a data mode.

BACKGROUND

When transmitting data over a network, a physical layer receiver (PHY) is often used to optimize the transmission channel in order to maintain the quality of the received signal. For example, the PHY uses a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) to amplify the transmitted signal to compensate for the fading caused by the transmission of the signal in the channel.

According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) regulations for Ethernet data transmission, PHY can have a training mode and a data mode. In the training mode, the PHY evaluates the transmission channel and optimizes the gain of the PGA. In the data mode, the PHY amplifies the transmitted signal based on the optimized gain. However, in real-world applications, the channel condition varies over time; for example, the radio frequency interference (RFI) in the environment may suddenly appear or disappear, causing the initially optimized gain no longer meet the requirements and degrading the signal quality. Therefore, a dynamic adjustment of the gain in the data mode for maintaining the received signal's quality has become an issue to be solved in this field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a method for receiving data. The method includes receiving a first transmission signal from a first channel, adjusting the intensity of the first transmission signal to generate an adjusted transmission signal according to an analog gain level, converting the adjusted transmission signal into a digital signal, filtering the digital signal to generate a filtered signal according to a set of filter coefficients, and adjusting the intensity of the filtered signal according to a digital gain level.

The method for receiving data further includes, in a training mode, estimating a transmission condition of the first channel, and adjusting the analog gain level and the digital gain level according to the estimation result of transmission condition of the first channel, so as to obtain convergent values for the set of filter coefficients before the training mode ends, and in a data mode, performing a first gain adjustment operation to adjust the analog gain level and to correspondingly adjust the digital gain level according to the adjustment made to the analog gain level in the data mode.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a data receiver. The data receiver includes a first receiving path and a controller.

The first receiving path receives a first transmission signal from a first channel, and the first receiving path includes a programmable gain amplifier, an analog to digital converter, an equalizer, a digital automatic gain control circuit. The programmable gain amplifier adjusts the intensity of the first transmission signal to generate an adjusted transmission signal according to an analog gain level. The analog to digital converter converts the adjusted transmission signal into a digital signal. The equalizer filters the digital signal to generate a filtered signal according to a set of filter coefficients. The digital automatic gain control circuit adjusts the intensity of the filtered signal according to a digital gain level.

The controller is coupled to the first receiving path. In a training mode, the controller estimates a transmission condition of the first channel, and adjusts the analog gain level and the digital gain level according to the estimation result of the transmission condition of the first channel, so as to obtain convergent values for the set of filter coefficients before the training mode ends. In a data mode, the controller performs a first gain adjustment operation to adjust the analog gain level and to correspondingly adjust the digital gain level according to the adjustment made to the analog gain level in the data mode.

