Block-LDPC: a practical LDPC coding system design approach

This paper presents a joint low-density parity-check (LDPC) code-encoder-decoder design approach, called Block-LDPC, for practical LDPC coding system implementations. The key idea is to construct LDPC codes subject to certain hardware-oriented constraints that ensure the effective encoder and decoder hardware implementations. We develop a set of hardware-oriented constraints, subject to which a semi-random approach is used to construct Block-LDPC codes with good error-correcting performance. Correspondingly, we develop an efficient encoding strategy and a pipelined partially parallel Block-LDPC encoder architecture, and a partially parallel Block-LDPC decoder architecture. We present the estimation of Block-LDPC coding system implementation key metrics including the throughput and hardware complexity for both encoder and decoder. The good error-correcting performance of Block-LDPC codes has been demonstrated through computer simulations. With the effective encoder/decoder design and good error-correcting performance, Block-LDPC provides a promising vehicle for real-life LDPC coding system implementations.     

基于FPGA的LDPC码编译码器联合设计

该文通过对低密度校验(LDPC)码的编译码过程进行分析,提出了一种基于FPGA的LDPC码编译码器联合设计方法,该方法使编码器和译码器共用同一校验计算电路和复用相同的RAM存储块,有效减少了硬件资源的消耗量。该方法适合于采用校验矩阵进行编码和译码的情况,不仅适用于全并行的编译码器结构,同时也适用于目前广泛采用的部分并行结构,且能够使用和积、最小和等多种译码算法。采用该方法对两组不同的LDPC码进行部分并行结构的编译码器联合设计,在Xilinx XC4VLX80 FPGA上的实现结果表明,设计得到的编码器和译码器可并行工作,且仅占用略多于单个译码器的硬件资源,提出的设计方法能够在不降低吞吐量的同时有效减少系统对硬件资源的需求。     

Euclidean Geometry LDPC-VBLAST System Design and Performance Evaluation

Among popular multi-transmit and multi-receive antennas techniques, the VBLAST (Vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time) architecture has been shown to be a good solution for wireless communications applications that require the transmission of data at high rates. Recently, the application of efficient error correction coding schemes such as low density parity-check (LDPC) codes to systems with multi-transmit and multi-receive antennas has shown to significantly improve bit error rate performance. Although irregular LDPC codes with non-structure are quite popular due to the ease of constructing the parity check matrices and their very good error rate performance, the complexity of the encoder is high. Simple implementation of both encoder and decoder can be an asset in wireless communications applications. In this paper, we study the application of Euclidean geometry LDPC codes to the VBLAST system. We assess system performance using different code parameters and different numbers of antennas via Monte-Carlo simulation and show that the combination of Euclidean geometry LDPC codes and VBLAST can significantly improve bit error rate performance. We also show that interleaving data is necessary to improve performance of LDPC codes when a higher number of antennas is, used in order to mitigate the effect of error propagation. The simplicity of the implementation of both encoder and decoder makes Euclidean geometry LDPC codes with VBLAST system attractive and suitable for practical applications.     

LDPC码全并行译码器的设计与实现

本论文用可编程逻辑器件(FPGA)实现了一种低密度奇偶校验码(LDPC)的编译码算法.采用基于Q矩阵LDPC码构造方法,设计了具有线性复杂度的编码器. 基于软判决译码规则,采用全并行译码结构实现了码率为1/2、码长为40比特的准规则LDPC码译码器,并且通过了仿真测试.该译码器复杂度与码长成线性关系,与Turbo码相比更易于硬件实现,并能达到更高的传输速率.     

基于矩阵分块的LDPC码快速编码结构研究

低密度奇偶校验(LDPC)码由于具有接近香农限的性能和高速并行的译码结构而成为研究热点。然而,当码长很长时,编译码器的硬件实现变得很困难。文章从编译码实际实现的角度出发,提出一种基于分块的LDPC码下三角形校验矩阵结构,降低了编译码复杂度,不仅可以实现线性时间编码,同时还可以实现部分并行译码。仿真结果表明,具有这种结构的LDPC码和随机构造的LDPC码相比具有同样好的纠错性能。     

Layered Approx-Regular LDPC: Code Construction and Encoder/Decoder Design

Layered approximately regular (LAR) low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes are proposed, with which one single pair of encoder and decoder support various code lengths and code rates. The parity check matrices of LAR-LDPC codes have a "layer-block-cell" structure with some additional constraints. An encoder architecture is then designed for LAR-LDPC codes, by making two improvements to the Richardson-Urbanke approach: the forward substitution operation is entirely removed and the dense-matrix-vector multiplication is handled using feedback shift-registers. A partially parallel decoder architecture is also designed for LAR-LDPC codes, where a layered modified min-sum decoding algorithm is used to trade off among complexity, speed, and performance. More importantly, the interconnection network, which is inevitable for partially parallel decoders, has much lower hardware complexity compared with that for general LDPC codes. Both the encoder and decoder architectures are highly flexible in code length and code rate.     

Joint (3,k)-regular LDPC code and decoder/encoder design

Recently, low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes have attracted a lot of attention in the coding theory community. However, their real-world applications are still problematic mainly due to the lack of effective decoder/encoder hardware design approaches. In this paper, we present a joint (3,k)-regular LDPC code and decoder/encoder design technique to construct a class of (3,k)-regular LDPC codes that not only have very good error-correcting capability but also exactly fit to high-speed partly parallel decoder and low-complexity encoder implementations. We also develop two techniques to further modify this joint design scheme to achieve more flexible tradeoffs between decoder hardware complexity and decoding speed.     

基于FEC的LDPC编码在远距离光通信系统中的研究

在研究超强FEC的LDPC编码在光通信中的应用性能分析的基础上,设计了采用超强FEC技术的OTU,给出了LDPC编码器与译码器具体设计,最后进行了实验方案分析和LDPC码型在远距离光通信系统中的仿真。     

Implementation aspects of LDPC convolutional codes

Potentially large storage requirements and long initial decoding delays are two practical issues related to the decoding of low-density parity-check (LDPC) convolutional codes using a continuous pipeline decoder architecture. In this paper, we propose several reduced complexity decoding strategies to lessen the storage requirements and the initial decoding delay without significant loss in performance. We also provide bit error rate comparisons of LDPC block and LDPC convolutional codes under equal processor (hardware) complexity and equal decoding delay assumptions. A partial syndrome encoder realization for LDPC convolutional codes is also proposed and analyzed. We construct terminated LDPC convolutional codes that are suitable for block transmission over a wide range of frame lengths. Simulation results show that, for terminated LDPC convolutional codes of sufficiently large memory, performance can be improved by increasing the density of the syndrome former matrix.     

光通信系统中LDPC码的构造及其编译码算法分析

针对低密度奇偶校验（LDPC）码的相关理论和LDPC码自身特性以及光通信系统具有低噪声、高信噪比的传输特点进行分析后,提出了光通信系统中LDPC码型的构造方法,这为光通信系统中LDPC码型的构造和仿真分析奠定了基础。并对光通信系统中LDPC码的编译码算法进行了深入分析与研究,得到一些有利于降低其编译码算法复杂度的重要结论,这有助于降低其编译码器的设计与实现复杂度。     

Rate-compatible puncturing of low-density parity-check codes

In this correspondence, we consider puncturing of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes for additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels. We show that good puncturing patterns exist and that the puncturing can be performed in a rate-compatible fashion. Furthermore, rate-compatible puncturing results in a small loss of performance with respect to threshold, namely, the punctured code is good (in terms of threshold) across a range of rates when compared with the optimal codes for each rate. This allows one to implement a single "mother" encoder and decoder that is good across a wide range of rates.     

LDPC-based iterative joint source-channel decoding for JPEG2000.

A framework is proposed for iterative joint source-channel decoding of JPEG2000 codestreams. At the encoder, JPEG2000 is used to perform source coding with certain error-resilience (ER) modes, and LDPC codes are used to perform channel coding. During decoding, the source decoder uses the ER modes to identify corrupt sections of the codestream and provides this information to the channel decoder. Decoding is carried out jointly in an iterative fashion. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method requires fewer iterations and improves overall system performance.     

Early detection of successful decoding for dual-diagonal block-based LDPC codes

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes [1] have attracted much attention in the last decade owing to their capacityapproaching performance. LDPC codes with a dual-diagonal blockbased structure can be encoded in linear time with lower encoder hardware complexity [2]. This class of LDPC codes is adopted by a number of standards such as wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11n) [3], wireless MAN (IEEE 802.16e, WiMAX) [4] and satellite TV (DVB-S2) [5]. LDPC codes are commonly decoded by the iterative belief-propagation (BP) algorithm. The decoder checks the parity-check equations to detect successful decoding at the end of the iteration. The Tanner graph of an irregular LDPC code consists of nodes with different degrees such that coded bits have unequal error protection [6]. Coded bits associated with higher degree nodes tend to converge to the correct answer more quickly. Hence, in order to give better protection to the transmitted data, data bits are always mapped to higher degree nodes whereas parity bits are mapped to lower degree nodes in the encoding process. The commonly used parity-check equations Hc t ? 0t will be satisfied after all the coded bits are correctly decoded. However, as discussed above, data bits converge to the correct answer much more quickly than parity bits, so some unnecessary iterations are wasted waiting for the parity bits to be decoded. In this Letter, a new set of low-complexity check equations are derived for dual-diagonal block-based LDPC codes. Early detection of successfully decoded data can be achieved by exploiting the structure and degree of distribution of the dual-diagonal parity check matrix. The decoder power, speed and complexity can be improved by adopting these equations. Simulation shows that the coding gain performance is little changed.     

Shortening for irregular QC-LDPC codes

Shortening is a technique to obtain codes of shorter length and lower rate from a given LDPC code by putting infinite reliability on some variable nodes, whose positions are assumed to be available to both encoder and decoder. In this paper, we propose a shortening algorithm suitable for irregular QC-LDPC codes. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is verified by both theoretical analysis and simulation.     

Design of LDPC-coded BICM using a semi-Gaussian approximation

This paper investigates analysis and design of Low-Density Parity-Check （LDPC） coded Bit Interleaved Coded Modulation （BICM） over Additive White Gaussian Noise （AWGN） channel. It focuses on Gray-labeled 8-ary Phase-Shift-Keying （8PSK） modulation and employs a Maximum A Posteriori （MAP） symbol-to-bit metric calculator at the receiver. An equivalent model of a BICM communication channel with ideal interleaving is presented. The probability distribution function of log-likelihood ratio messages from the MAP receiver can be approximated by a mixture of symmetric Gaussian densities. As a result semi-Gaussian approximation can be used to analyze the decoder. Extrinsic information transfer charts are employed to describe the convergence behavior of LDPC decoder. The design of irregular LDPC codes reduces to a linear programming problem on two-dimensional variable edge-degree distribution. This method allows irregular code design in a wider range of rates without any limit on the maximum node degree and can be used to design irregular codes having rates varying from 0.5275 to 0.9099. The designed convergence thresholds are only a few tenths, even a few hundredths of a decibel from the capacity limits. It is shown by Monte Carlo simulations that, when the block length is 30,000, these codes operate about 0.62-0.75 dB from the capacity limit at a bit error rate of 10s.     

A Flexible LDPC/Turbo Decoder Architecture

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and convolutional Turbo codes are two of the most powerful error correcting codes that are widely used in modern communication systems. In a multi-mode baseband receiver, both LDPC and Turbo decoders may be required. However, the different decoding approaches for LDPC and Turbo codes usually lead to different hardware architectures. In this paper we propose a unified message passing algorithm for LDPC and Turbo codes and introduce a flexible soft-input soft-output (SISO) module to handle LDPC/Turbo decoding. We employ the trellis-based maximum a posteriori (MAP) algorithm as a bridge between LDPC and Turbo codes decoding. We view the LDPC code as a concatenation of n super-codes where each super-code has a simpler trellis structure so that the MAP algorithm can be easily applied to it. We propose a flexible functional unit (FFU) for MAP processing of LDPC and Turbo codes with a low hardware overhead (about 15% area and timing overhead). Based on the FFU, we propose an area-efficient flexible SISO decoder architecture to support LDPC/Turbo codes decoding. Multiple such SISO modules can be embedded into a parallel decoder for higher decoding throughput. As a case study, a flexible LDPC/Turbo decoder has been synthesized on a TSMC 90 nm CMOS technology with a core area of 3.2 mm². The decoder can support IEEE 802.16e LDPC codes, IEEE 802.11n LDPC codes, and 3GPP LTE Turbo codes. Running at 500 MHz clock frequency, the decoder can sustain up to 600 Mbps LDPC decoding or 450 Mbps Turbo decoding.     

针对 IRA-LDPC 码类的半随机半代数结构设计

提出用半随机半代数结构的设计方法来构造IRA-LDPC码的信息位所对应的奇偶校验矩阵H d。与现有结构化LDPC码相比,所给出的H d矩阵的结构化紧凑表示阵列的独特优势在于：可使H d矩阵中每个1元素的位置坐标均能用数学表达式计算得到,不仅极大地降低了随机奇偶校验矩阵对存储资源的消耗,而且还为LDPC编解码器的低复杂度硬件实现提供了可能性。与现有工业标准中的LDPC码相比,所提出的IRA-LDPC码在误码率与信噪比的仿真性能方面也占有优势。     

适于分层译码算法的LDPC码构造方法

The layered decoding algorithm has been widely used in the implementation of Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) decoders, due to its high convergence speed. However, the pipeline operation of the layered decoder may introduce memory access conflicts, which heavily deteriorates the decoder throughput. To essentially deal with the issue of memory access conflicts, we propose a construction algorithm of LDPC codes, to which a constraint condition is added in the Progressive Edge-Growth (PEG) algorithm. The constraint condition can guarantee that for our constructed LDPC codes, the sets of all the variable nodes connected to the consecutive layers do not share any common variable node, which can avoid the memory access conflicts. Simulation results show that the performance of our constructed LDPC codes is close to the several other LDPC codes adopted in wireless standards. Moreover, compared with the decoder for IEEE 802. 16e LDPC codes, the throughput of our LDPC decoder has large improvement, while the chip resource consumption is unchanged. Thus, our constructed LD-PC codes can be adopted in the high-speed transmission.     

应用于无线传感器网络的LDPC码研究

在系统分析LDPC码编译码技术的基础上,根据无线传感器网络的应用特点,提出了LDPC码在无线传感器网络节点中的设计方案,方案采用(n,3,6)规则LDPC码,校验矩阵采用PEG-QC构造法,编码采用RU算法,译码采用Log-BP算法,并对该方案进行了MATLAB仿真,仿真结果表明了该方案的有效性.     

RS码与LDPC码的联合迭代译码

针对RS码与LDPC码的串行级联结构,提出了一种基于自适应置信传播(ABP)的联合迭代译码方法.译码时,LDPC码置信传播译码器输出的软信息作为RS码ABP译码器的输入;经过一定迭代译码后,RS码译码器输出的软信息又作为LDPC译码器的输入.软输入软输出的RS译码器与LDPC译码器之间经过多次信息传递,译码性能有很大提高.码长中等的LDPC码采用这种级联方案,可以有效克服短环的影响,消除错误平层.仿真结果显示:AWGN信道下这种基于ABP的RS码与LDPC码的联合迭代译码方案可以获得约0.8 dB的增益.