Compound codes based on irregular graphs and their iterative decoding.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes form a Shannon limit approaching class of linear block codes. With iterative decoding based on their Tanner graphs, they can achieve outstanding performance. Since their rediscovery in late 1990's, the design, construction, and decoding of LDPC codes as well as their generalization have become one of the focal research points. This thesis takes a few more steps in these directions. The first significant contribution of this thesis is the introduction of a new class of codes called Generalized Irregular Low-Density (GILD) parity-check codes, which are adapted from the previously known class of Generalized Low-Density (GLD) codes. GILD codes are generalization of irregular LDPC codes, and are shown to outperform GLD codes. In addition, GILD codes have a significant advantage over GLD codes in terms of encoding and decoding complexity. They are also able to match and even beat LDPC codes for small block lengths. The second significant contribution of this thesis is the proposition of several decoding algorithms. Two new decoding algolithms for LDPC codes are introduced. In principle and complexity these algorithms can be grouped with bit flipping algorithms. Two soft-input soft-output (SISO) decoding algorithms for linear block codes are also proposed. The first algorithm is based on Maximum a Posteriori Probability (MAP) decoding of low-weight subtrellis centered around a generated candidate codeword. The second algorithm modifies and utilizes the improved Kaneko's decoding algorithm for soft-input hard-output decoding. These hard outputs are converted to soft-decisions using reliability calculations. Simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithms provide a significant improvement in error performance over Chase-based algorithm and achieve practically optimal performance with a significant reduction in decoding complexity. An analytical expression for the union bound on the bit error probability of linear codes on the Gilbert-Elliott (GE) channel model is also derived. This analytical result is shown to be accurate in establishing the decoder performance in the range where obtaining sufficient data from simulation is impractical

Two-Bit Bit Flipping Decoding of LDPC Codes

In this paper, we propose a new class of bit flipping algorithms for low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes over the binary symmetric channel (BSC). Compared to the regular (parallel or serial) bit flipping algorithms, the proposed algorithms employ one additional bit at a variable node to represent its "strength." The introduction of this additional bit increases the guaranteed error correction capability by a factor of at least 2. An additional bit can also be employed at a check node to capture information which is beneficial to decoding. A framework for failure analysis of the proposed algorithms is described. These algorithms outperform the Gallager A/B algorithm and the min-sum algorithm at much lower complexity. Concatenation of two-bit bit flipping algorithms show a potential to approach the performance of belief propagation (BP) decoding in the error floor region, also at lower complexity.Comment: 6 pages. Submitted to IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory 201

Reliability Ratio Based Weighted Bit-Flipping Decoding for LDPC Codes

In this contribution, a novel reliability-ratio based weighted bit-flipping(RRWBF) algorithm is proposed for decoding Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes. The RRWBF algorithm proposed is benchmarked against the conventional weighted bit-flipping (WBF) algorithm [1] and the improved weighted bit-flipping (IWBF) algorithm [2]. More than 1 and 2 dB coding gain was achieved at an BER of 10-5 while invoking the RRWBF algorithm in comparison to the two benchmarking schemes, when communicating over an AWGN and an uncorrelated Rayleigh channel, respectively. Furthermore, the decoding complexity of the proposed RRWBF algorithm is maintained at the same level as that of the conventional WBF algorithm