A serial bit stream having a given bit per second rate is received and distributed to a plurality of phase shifted samplers. A multi-phase sampling trigger is generated at a rate lower than the given bit per second rate, and each of the phase shifted samplers is controlled by one of the phases of the multi-phase sampling trigger. The time spacing between phases of the multi-phase sampling trigger is the inverse of the given bit per second rate. The phase of the multi-phase sampling trigger is aligned with the phase of the serial bit, to collectively recover by the plurality of phase shifted samplers a plurality of consecutive bits from the serial bit stream.