We propose a non-binary stochastic decoding algorithm for low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes over GF(q) with degree two variable nodes, called Adaptive Multiset Stochastic Algorithm (AMSA). The algorithm uses multisets, an extension of sets that allows multiple occurrences of an element, to represent probability mass functions that simplifies the structure of the variable nodes. The run-time complexity of one decoding cycle using AMSA is O(q) for conventional memory architectures, and O(1) if a custom memory architecture is used. Two fully-parallel AMSA decoders are implemented on FPGA for two (192,96) (2,4)-regular codes over GF(64) and GF(256), both achieving a maximum clock frequency of 108 MHz. The GF(64) decoder has a coded throughput of 65 Mb/s at Eb/N0=2.4 dB when using conventional memory, while a decoder using the custom memory version can achieve 698 Mb/s at the same Eb/N0. At a frame error rate (FER) of 2×10-6the GF(64) version of the algorithm is only 0.04 dB away from the floating-point SPA performance, and for the GF(256) code the difference is 0.2 dB. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully parallel non-binary LDPC decoder over GF(256) reported in the literature.
We propose a non-binary stochastic decoding algorithm for low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes over GF(q) with degree two variable nodes, called Adaptive Multiset Stochastic Algorithm (AMSA). The algorithm uses multisets, an extension of sets that allows multiple occurrences of an element, to represent probability mass functions that simplifies the structure of the variable nodes. The run-time complexity of one decoding cycle using AMSA is O(q) for conventional memory architectures, and O(1) if a custom memory architecture is used. Two fully-parallel AMSA decoders are implemented on FPGA for two (192,96) (2,4)-regular codes over GF(64) and GF(256), both achieving a maximum clock frequency of 108 MHz. The GF(64) decoder has a coded throughput of 65 Mb/s at Eb/N0=2.4 dB when using conventional memory, while a decoder using the custom memory version can achieve 698 Mb/s at the same Eb/N0. At a frame error rate (FER) of 2×10-6the GF(64) version of the algorithm is only 0.04 dB away from the floating-point SPA performance, and for the GF(256) code the difference is 0.2 dB. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully parallel non-binary LDPC decoder over GF(256) reported in the literature.
Stochastic decoding is a new approach to iterative decoding on graphs. This paper presents a hardware architecture for fully parallel stochastic low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoders. To obtain the characteristics of the proposed architecture, we apply this architecture to decode an irregular state-of-the-art (1056,528) LDPC code on a Xilinx Virtex-4 LX200 field-programmable gate-array (FPGA) device. The implemented decoder achieves a clock frequency of 222 MHz and a throughput of about 1.66 Gb/s atEb/N0=4.25dB(a bit error rate of10−8). It provides decoding performance within 0.5 and 0.25 dB of the floating-point sum-product algorithm with 32 and 16 iterations, respectively, and similar error-floor behavior. The decoder uses less than 40% of the lookup tables, flip-flops, and IO ports available on the FPGA device. The results provided in this paper validate the potential of stochastic LDPC decoding as a practical and competitive fully parallel decoding approach.
Despite the outstanding performance of non-binary low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes over many communication channels, they are not in widespread use yet. This is due to the high implementation complexity of their decoding algorithms, even those that compromise performance for the sake of simplicity. In this paper, we present three algorithms based on stochastic computation to reduce the decoding complexity. The first is a purely stochastic algorithm with error-correcting performance matching that of the sum-product algorithm (SPA) for LDPC codes over Galois fields with low order and a small variable node degree. We also present a modified version which reduces the number of decoding iterations required while remaining purely stochastic and having a low per-iteration complexity. The second algorithm, relaxed half-stochastic (RHS) decoding, combines elements of the SPA and the stochastic decoder and uses successive relaxation to match the error-correcting performance of the SPA. Furthermore, it uses fewer iterations than the purely stochastic algorithm and does not have limitations on the field order and variable node degree of the codes it can decode. The third algorithm, NoX, is a fully stochastic specialization of RHS for codes with a variable node degree 2 that offers similar performance, but at a significantly lower computational complexity. We study the performance and complexity of the algorithms; noting that all have lower per-iteration complexity than SPA and that RHS can have comparable average per-codeword computational complexity, and NoX a lower one.
This paper concerns a new and powerful Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) stochastic decoding algorithm, called Controlled Start-up Stochastic (CSS) decoding, to implement fully parallel LDPC decoders. The proposed algorithm uses a clever starting point computing method to improve the convergence as well as to reduce the latency of the decoding process, without a significant hardware complexity cost. Using this stochastic method, in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) region, a short LDPC code can outperforms the fixed point state-of-the-art (2048, 1723) LDPC code. To validate the performance of the proposed algorithm, a (48, 24) LDPC code are implemented on Xilinx Virtex-6 VLX240T field programmable gate array device, with and without the CSS method. The new algorithm provides a decoding speed seven times faster and a Bit Error Rate (BER) hundred times better at E3/N0=4.5 dB. In addition, the results provide a BER better than the 6 bits offset min-sum algorithm (OMSA) and better than the 6 bits sum-product algorithm (SPA) for the (2048, 1723) LDPC code, below E3/N0=3.9 dB and Eb/N0=4.3 dB respectively. The obtained results show that, the proposed algorithm is the first stochastic algorithm which can outperform the OMSA and SPA algorithms, with less hardware complexity.
A new stochastic decoding algorithm, called Delayed Stochastic (DS) decoding, is introduced to implement low-density-parity-check (LDPC) decoders. The delayed stochastic decoding uses an alternative method to track probability values, which results in reduction of hardware complexity and memory requirement of the stochastic decoders. It is therefore suitable for fully-parallel implementation of long LDPC codes with applications in optical communications. Two decoders are implemented using the DS algorithm for medium (2048, 1723) and long (32768, 26624) LDPC codes. The decoders occupy 3.93- mm2and 56.5- mm2silicon area using 90-nm CMOS technology and provide maximum core throughputs of 172.4 and 477.7 Gb/s at [(Eb)/(No)]=5.5 and 4.8 dB, respectively.
Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes over a Galois Field GF(q) can provide significantly better error- correcting quality than binary LDPC codes with moderate code length. However, the computational complexity and memory requirement of nonbinary codes are much higher, limiting the application of non- binary LDPC codes. In this paper, we propose an adaptive message truncation algorithm for non-binary LDPC decoding, guided by the estimated code error rates. Compared to the previous fixed message truncation method, it can cut the messages adaptively, and therefore provide better decoding quality and computation complexity reduction. To further reduce the computation, we propose another adaptive check node update algorithm, simplifying the decoding by reducing the number of check nodes updating. Our simulation results demonstrate that by combining these two algorithms together, the average message size can be reduced greatly and good decoding quality is achieved, at a little cost of iterations. Compared to the existing truncation algorithms, our approach can reduce the order of complexity to O(nalog2(na)) (where nais messages size), with less performance degradation.
This brief presents an area-efficient relaxed half-stochastic nonbinary low-density parity-check (NB-LDPC) decoder. A novel decoding algorithm, namely, cumulative tracking forecast memory with concealing channel values (CTFM-CC) is proposed to reduce algorithm complexity and maintain bit-error-rate performance as well. Furthermore, the hardware complexity of variable node units (VNUs) is reduced through a truncated architecture, which only keeps the most reliable n probability density functions. To deal with the sum-product-algorithm-to-stochastic conversion of VNU, a dynamic random number generation method, which is used for sampling a stochastic symbol, is also proposed. With these features, a (168, 84) regular-(2,4) NB-LDPC code over GF(16) decoder is implemented in a 90-nm process. According to the results of postlayout simulation, this decoder can deliver a throughput of 1.13 Gb/s with a hardware efficiency of 0.90 Mb/s/K-gate at 286 MHz. Compared to related rate-1/2 NB-LDPC decoders, the proposed decoder achieves the highest hardware efficiency with similar error-correcting capability.