Tutorial: Digital Equalization and Timing Recovery Techniques for ADC-DSP Based High-Speed Links

As we move beyond 200Gb/s, equalization and timing-recovery techniques have evolved drastically, with ISI and latency playing a significant role in DSP-based receivers, especially with multi-level signaling. This tutorial aims at bridging the gap between well-understood analog/mixed-signal solutions and today's DSP-based solutions. Starting from traditional analog architectures, the tutorial will walk through the evolution toward today's DSP-based equalization and timing recovery. The tutorial will include digital equalization, timing recovery, their interaction, and interdependency. MLSD, a recent trend in DSP-based equalization will also be covered.