Algebraic lower bounds on the free distance of convolutional codes

A new module structure for convolutional codes is introduced and used to establish further links with quasi-cyclic and cyclic codes. The set of finite weight codewords of an (n,k) convolutional code over Fq is shown to be isomorphic to an Fq[x]-submodule of Fq n[x], where Fq n[x] is the ring of polynomials in indeterminate x over Fq n, an extension field of Fq. Such a module can then be associated with a quasi-cyclic code of index n and block length nL viewed as an Fq[x]-submodule of Fq n[x]/langxL-1rang, for any positive integer L. Using this new module approach algebraic lower bounds on the free distance of a convolutional code are derived which can be read directly from the choice of polynomial generators. Links between convolutional codes and cyclic codes over the field extension Fq n are also developed and Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH)-type results are easily established in this setting. Techniques to find the optimal choice of the parameter L are outline

A New Construction Scheme of Convolutional Codes

Abstract-A new class of (2k, k, 1) convolutional codes is proposed based on the method that creating long codes by short ones in this paper, by embedding (2k, k) double loop cyclic codes in (2, 1, 1) convolutional codes. The structural mechanism of the codes is revealed by defining a state transition matrix and using algebraic method. It is then shown that the code structure is excellent in both proportionality and diversity, so a superior code is easy to be obtained. Simulation results show that, the new convolutional codes present advantages over the traditional (2, 1, l) codes in the errorcorrecting capability and decoding speed

Quasi-Cyclic Asymptotically Regular LDPC Codes

Families of "asymptotically regular" LDPC block code ensembles can be formed by terminating (J,K)-regular protograph-based LDPC convolutional codes. By varying the termination length, we obtain a large selection of LDPC block code ensembles with varying code rates, minimum distance that grows linearly with block length, and capacity approaching iterative decoding thresholds, despite the fact that the terminated ensembles are almost regular. In this paper, we investigate the properties of the quasi-cyclic (QC) members of such an ensemble. We show that an upper bound on the minimum Hamming distance of members of the QC sub-ensemble can be improved by careful choice of the component protographs used in the code construction. Further, we show that the upper bound on the minimum distance can be improved by using arrays of circulants in a graph cover of the protograph.Comment: To be presented at the 2010 IEEE Information Theory Workshop, Dublin, Irelan

Deriving Good LDPC Convolutional Codes from LDPC Block Codes

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) convolutional codes are capable of achieving excellent performance with low encoding and decoding complexity. In this paper we discuss several graph-cover-based methods for deriving families of time-invariant and time-varying LDPC convolutional codes from LDPC block codes and show how earlier proposed LDPC convolutional code constructions can be presented within this framework. Some of the constructed convolutional codes significantly outperform the underlying LDPC block codes. We investigate some possible reasons for this "convolutional gain," and we also discuss the --- mostly moderate --- decoder cost increase that is incurred by going from LDPC block to LDPC convolutional codes.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, April 2010; revised August 2010, revised November 2010 (essentially final version). (Besides many small changes, the first and second revised versions contain corrected entries in Tables I and II.