Dung Viet Nguyen

On the Construction of Structured LDPC Codes Free of Small Trapping Sets

We present a method to construct low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes with low error floors on the binary symmetric channel. Codes are constructed so that their Tanner graphs are free of certain small trapping sets. These trapping sets are selected from the trapping set ontology for the Gallager A/B decoder. They are selected based on their relative harmfulness for a given decoding algorithm. We evaluate the relative harmfulness of different trapping sets for the sum-product algorithm by using the topological relations among them and by analyzing the decoding failures on one trapping set in the presence or absence of other trapping sets. We apply this method to construct structured LDPC codes. To facilitate the discussion, we give a new description of structured LDPC codes whose parity-check matrices are arrays of permutation matrices. This description uses Latin squares to define a set of permutation matrices that have disjoint support and to derive a simple necessary and sufficient condition for the Tanner graph of a code to be free of four cycles.

Trapping set ontology

The failures of iterative decoders for low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes on the additive white Gaussian noise channel (AWGNC) and the binary symmetric channel (BSC) can be understood in terms of combinatorial objects known as trapping sets. In this paper, we derive a systematic method to identify the most relevant trapping sets for decoding over the BSC in the error floor region. We elaborate on the notion of the critical number of a trapping set and derive a classification of trapping sets. We then develop the trapping set ontology, a database of trapping sets that summarizes the topological relations among trapping sets. We elucidate the usefulness of the trapping set ontology in predicting the error floor as well as in designing better codes.

On Trapping Sets and Guaranteed Error Correction Capability of LDPC Codes and GLDPC Codes

The relation between the girth and the guaranteed error correction capability of ¿ -left-regular low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes when decoded using the bit flipping (serial and parallel) algorithms is investigated. A lower bound on the size of variable node sets which expand by a factor of at least 3 ¿/4 is found based on the Moore bound. This bound, combined with the well known expander based arguments, leads to a lower bound on the guaranteed error correction capability. The decoding failures of the bit flipping algorithms are characterized using the notions of trapping sets and fixed sets. The relation between fixed sets and a class of graphs known as cage graphs is studied. Upper bounds on the guaranteed error correction capability are then established based on the order of cage graphs. The results are extended to left-regular and right-uniform generalized LDPC codes. It is shown that this class of generalized LDPC codes can correct a linear number of worst case errors (in the code length) under the parallel bit flipping algorithm when the underlying Tanner graph is a good expander. A lower bound on the size of variable node sets which have the required expansion is established.

Structured LDPC codes from permutation matrices free of small trapping sets

This paper introduces a class of structured low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes whose parity check matrices are arrays of permutation matrices. The permutation matrices are obtained from Latin squares and form a finite field under some matrix operations. They are chosen so that the Tanner graphs do not contain subgraphs harmful to iterative decoding algorithms. The construction of column-weight-three codes is presented. Although the codes are optimized for the Gallager A/B algorithm over the binary symmetric channel (BSC), their error performance is very good on the additive white Gaussian noise channel (AWGNC) as well.

Error Correction Capability of Column-Weight-Three LDPC Codes Under the Gallager A Algorithm—Part II

The relation between the girth and the error correction capability of column-weight-three LDPC codes under the Gallager A algorithm is investigated. It is shown that a column-weight-three LDPC code with Tanner graph of girth g ? 10 can correct all error patterns with up to (g/2-1) errors in at most g/2 iterations of the Gallager A algorithm. For codes with Tanner graphs of girth g ? 8, it is shown that girth alone cannot guarantee correction of all error patterns with up to (g/2-1) errors under the Gallager A algorithm. Sufficient conditions to correct (g/2-1) errors are then established by studying trapping sets.

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.

Low-complexity finite alphabet iterative decoders for LDPC codes

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes are adopted in many applications due to their Shannon-limit approaching error-correcting performance. Nevertheless, belief-propagation (BP) based decoding of these codes suffers from the error-floor problem. Recently, a new type of decoders termed finite alphabet iterative decoders (FAIDs) were introduced. The FAIDs use simple Boolean maps for variable node processing. With very short word length, they can surpass the BP-based decoders in the error floor region. This paper develops a low-complexity implementation architecture for FAIDs by making use of their properties. Particularly, an innovative bit-serial check node unit is designed for FAIDs, and the symmetric Boolean maps for variable node processing lead to small silicon area. An optimized data scheduling scheme is also proposed to increase the hardware utilization efficiency. From synthesis results, the proposed FAID implementation needs only 52% area to reach the same throughput as one of the most efficient Min-sum decoders for an example (7807, 7177) LDPC code, while achieving better error-correcting performance in the error-floor region.

Girth of the Tanner graph and error correction capability of LDPC codes

We investigate the relation between the girth and the guaranteed error correction capability of gamma-left regular LDPC codes. For column-weight-three codes, we give upper and lower bounds on the number of errors correctable by the Gallager A algorithm. For higher column weight codes, we find the number of variable nodes which are guaranteed to expand by a factor of at least 3gamma/4, hence giving a lower bound on the guaranteed correction capability under the bit flipping (serial and parallel) algorithms. We also establish upper bounds by studying the sizes of smallest possible trapping sets.

Selecting two-bit bit flipping algorithms for collective error correction

A class of two-bit bit flipping algorithms for decoding low-density parity-check codes over the binary symmetric channel was proposed in [1]. Initial results showed that decoders which employ a group of these algorithms operating in parallel can offer low error floor decoding for high-speed applications. As the number of two-bit bit flipping algorithms is large, designing such a decoder is not a trivial task. In this paper, we describe a procedure to select collections of algorithms that work well together. This procedure relies on a recursive process which enumerates error configurations that are uncorrectable by a given algorithm. The error configurations uncorrectable by a given algorithm form its trapping set profile. Based on their trapping set profiles, algorithms are selected so that in parallel, they can correct a fixed number of errors with high probability.

On the guaranteed error correction capability of LDPC codes

We investigate the relation between the girth and the guaranteed error correction capability of gamma-left regular LDPC codes when decoded using the bit flipping (serial and parallel) algorithms. A lower bound on the number of variable nodes which expand by a factor of at least 3gamma/4 is found based on the Moore bound. An upper bound on the guaranteed correction capability is established by studying the sizes of smallest possible trapping sets.