250 TRANSACI’IONSON INFORMATION THEORY, VOL. IT-27,NO.

2, MARCH 1981
Ililili

MMSE linear filter [41 A. H. Jazwinski. Stochastic Processes und Filtering Theory. New York:
Academic, 1970.
I51 A. Gelb (ed.). Apphed Optimal Estimation. Cambridge, MA: M.I.T.
Press, 1974
=iDi(k- l/k- 1)+p[@P,cPT+GQGT]H7 [61 A. G. Jaffer and S. C. Gupta, “Recursive Bayesian estimation with
uncertain observations,” IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol. IT-17, pp.
614-616, Sept. 1971.
. [I? +p*H( @PmQT + GQGT)HT +p( 1 -p)Hs,H’] -’ [71 -1 “Optimal sequential estimation of discrete processes with Markov
interrupted observations,” IEEE Trans. Automat. Contr., vol. AC-16, pp.
.(z(k)-pfm(k- l/k- 1)) (34) 471-475,Oct. 1971.
181 Y. Sawaragi, T. Katayama, and S. Fujishige, “Sequential state estimation
with interrupted observations,” Inform. Contr. vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 56-71,
is asymptotically stable if the time-invariant equivalent system 1972.
(30) and (31) is detectable and stabilizable. 191 M. T. Hadidi and S. C. Schwartz, “Linear recursive state estimators
under uncertain observations,” IEEE Trans. Automat. Con@., vol. AC-24,
Proof: Under CI) time-invariant equivalent system (30)-(32) pp. 944-948, Dec. 1979.
is well-defined. Consider the associated Kalman filter and use the [101 H. Kwakernaak and R. Sivan, Linear Optimal Control Systems. New
results in [ 10, section 6.561. 0 York: Wiley-Interscience, 1972.
1111 G. J. Bierman. Factorization Methods for Discrete Sequential Estimation.
It should be noted that stability of ip implies stabilizability and New York: Academic Press, 1977.
detectability of time-invariant equivalent system (30) and (31) [I21 S. Chirarattananon and B. D. 0. Anderson, “The fixed-lag smoother as a
finite-dimensional linear system,” Automatica, vol. 7, pp. 657-665, 1971.
[ 10, ch. 61. Furthermore, controllability implies stabilizability and Cl31 J. B. Moore, “Discrete-time fixed-lag smoothing algorithms,” Auto-
observability implies detectability, respectively, for the system mutica, vol. 9, pp. 163- 174, 1973.
(30) and (31) [lo, ch. 61. Therefore, condition Cl) is sufficient for
all conclusions in Theorem 2 to hold.

V. CONCLUDING REMARKS

We have developed a set of sufficient conditions for uniform

asymptotic stability in the large of the optimal MMSE linear
filter for discrete linear systems having uncertain observations.
We also derived conditions for the existence, uniqueness, and
stability of the steady-state optimal linear filter when the system
is time-invariant. These results extend the standard results per-
taining to the Kalman filter to the linear estimation problem for
discrete linear systems characterized by uncertain observations.
We did not treat Nahi’s case 2 [l] which is also of significant
practical interest. The technique used in this correspondence to
infer the filter stability properties for Nahi’s case 1 [l] can be
applied to Nahi’s case 2 also by defining an appropriate “equiva-
lent” system. The issues involved (stability, existence, etc.) are by
no means trivial. One possible equivalent system is
x,(kf l)=@(k+ l,k)x,(k)+u,(k),
z(kS l)=H(k+ l)x,(k+ l)+v,(k+
where x,(O) E x(O); u,(k) and u,(k) are independent
white noise sequences satisfying
A Class of Perfect Block Codes for the Binary
Channel Associated with Differentially
Encoded PSK Signals with
Coherent Detection
MATS CEDERVALL, STUDENT MEMBER, IEEE,AND
CARL-ERIK SUNDBERG, MEMBER, IEEE
Ahstracr- A class of perfect block codes are found for the binary
channel associated with differentially encoded phase shift keying signals
with coherent detection (DCPSK). The codes are shown to correct all
double adjacent errors and single errors in the first and last word positions.
Such codes are found for which the number of available different syn-
dromes equals the number of most probable channel errors. A construction
l), algorithm is given for this class of codes. Computer search results for
shortened codes are presented.
zero-mean
I. INTRODUCTION

We consider the problem of constructing simple error correct-

E{~e(~b,T(k)} =K-(k)fhj, ing codes for the binary channel associated with differentially
encoded phase shift keying signals with coherent detection
E{ue(du:W} = Q,(k)&,, (DCPSK) [4], [8], [S]. The communication system under consider-
ation is outlined in Fig. 1. Differential encoding/decoding is
R,(k)tq-‘R(k), often used in practice to resolve bit ambiguity. In an already
existing differentially encoded PSK scheme with coherent detec-
tion, we want to add coding equipment without modifying the
Q,(k)f G(k)Q(k)@(k)+ (I-4) modulator/demodulator. It is known that the errors produced in
this modulation scheme are correlated and that the most proba-
.l$(k)H(k)S(k)Q=(k,k- l), ble error events for the binary channel associated with DCPSK
are double adjacent errors. (See the Table I and [4], [S], [5].)
and where the various quantities have been defined earlier in this If the channel single error is isolated, then the single error
paper with the exception of q and F,(k) which are defined in event in the error sequence before differential decoding is the
Nahi [ 11. source of an “inevitable” double adjacent error after differential
decoding [S]. Isolated single errors in differential decoding occur
REFERENCES with extremely low probability compared to the probability of
double adjacent errors.
[I] N. E. Nahi, “Optimal recursive estimation with uncertain observations,”
IEEE Trms. Inform. Theory, vol. IT-15, pp. 475-462, July 1969.
121 R. A. Monzineo. “Discrete ontimal linear smoothine for svstems with
. 1
Manuscript received October 19, 1979; revised May 5, 1980.
uncertain obs&ations,” IEEk Tram. Inform. Theo&, “01: IT-21, pp. C. E. Sundberg is with the Telecommunication Theory Department, Univer-
271-275. May 1975. sity of Lund, Fack, S-22007 Lund, Sweden.
[3] T. P. McGarty, Stochastic Systems and State Estimation. New York: M. CedervaIl is with the Computer Engineering Department, University of
Wiley, 1974. Lund, Fack, S-22007 Lund, Sweden.

0018-9448/81/0300-0250$00.75 @ 1981 IEEE

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,EEETRANSACTIONSON INI;ORMATIONTHEORY, VOL. IT-27,NO. 2, MARCH 1981 251

__--_-- __-_ -- -.
r----- 1
differen- I
data PSK
channel 4 tial
’ encoder
encoder
’ nadulator -
i
I i
I i
b i
i Additive white Gaussian
noise channel i

Binary channel associated with DCPSK

L ----------___- --_- - -i
Fig. 1. A model for the communication system. The channel encoding is added to an already existing DCPSK system. Thus the
channel coding has to deal with correlated errors produced by the DCPSK system.

If a block code is used, the bit stream must be subdivided into TABLE I
blocks. Double adjacent errors might therefore be split into two ERRORSTRUCTUREFORTHEMOSTPROBABLEERRORSEQUENCES
AFTERDIFFERENTIALDECODINGINABLOCKOF n SYMBOLS
single errors occurring in two different codewords. Table I and
Fig. 1 supply the motivation for defining the following class of
linear binary block codes. Block of n symbols Block of n symbols
Double Adjacent Error Correcting/Single Error at Beginning Error sequences Ermr sequences
before differential after differential
or End Correcting (DA EC/SEBEC) codes: These codes correct decoding decoding
all double adjacent errors and all single errors in the first or the
t-n t-n+
last positions (single error in beginning and end positions). When
a double adjacent error is split up into two single errors, the 01 I ooo....ooo 00 01 ~100....000 100
I
following class of codes is also of interest for the DCPSK 00; 100....000 00 00 ,110....000 100

channel, since the block errors are correlated. 00, 010....000 00 00 1011 . . ..ooo 100
Double Adjacent Error Correcting/Single Error at Beginning *I . 1 I
b0 * I
or End Detecting (DAEC/SEBED) codes: These codes correct all oil 000....100 00 (000....110 100

double adjacent errors and also detect single errors in the first or 00; 000....010 00 00 )000....011 100

last positions (single error detecting in beginning and end posi- 00 I 000.. . .OOl 00 00 loo0 . . ..OOl 110

tions). By making use of detection of errors in successive blocks, . , . .

we can correct split double adjacent errors by means of
DAEC/SEBED codes [ 1I].
Throughout this correspondence, double adjacent channel er-
rors are not double adjacent in the cyclic sense (unless otherwise
is specifically stated) [I], i.e., a double error in the first and the
last position in the same block is a double adjacent error in the
cyclic sense. From Peterson and Weldon [7] we have the follow-
ing algebraic definition of perfect codes.
Definition I: A perfect code is a block code that for some t has
all patterns of weight t or less and no others as coset leaders.
This definition is relevant on the assumption that the channel
is a binary symmetric channeI with uncorrelated errors. A modified
definition that also applies equally well to all previously defined
perfect binary codes on the binary symmetric channel is given by
the following for linear block codes.
Definition 2: A statistically perfect code is a linear code with
m check symbols for which there are 2”’ - 1 different nonzero
syndromes, one for each of the 2”’ - 1 most probable error
patterns and none for the less probable error patterns.
The key words in Definition 2 are “most probable error
patterns.” For example, the perfect single error correcting Ham-
ming code is also a perfect code in this sense, i.e., on the binary
symmetric channel with independent errors.
Consider the error pattern list in the right half of Table 1.
There are n - 1 double adjacent errors and two single errors
1 codeword 1 codeword
(beginning/end) that have to be corrected. Thus there is a total
of n + 1 different error patterns. Given m check bits, it is re-
quired that 2”’ - 1 2 n + 1. The question now arises whether
there are any linear block codes of DAEC/SEBEC type having
n = 2”’ - 2 code symbols, n - m = 2”’ - 2 - m information sym-
bols, and m check symbols. In the next section it is shown that
there exists a class of linear (2”’ - 2,2”’ - 2 - m) codes which are
of the DAEC/SEBEC type and which are perfect in the sense of
Definition 2 above.
Note that Abramson’s codes [l] are in no sense perfect, neither
for the binary symmetric channel (Definition 1 or Definition 2)
nor for the DCPSK channel (Definition 2). These cyclic codes are
double adjacent and single error correcting (single errors in all
positions and including the “cyclic” double adjacent error).
An alternative and common method of employing channel
coding in a DCPSK scheme is to exchange the channel encoding
and differential encoding in Fig. 1 [ 1I]. The channel “created” for
the coding scheme is memoryless. An extra requirement for this
coding scheme is that the code used be transparent, i.e., that the
all one word be a codeword in the code (if a block code is used;
otherwise see [4]).

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 252 IEEETRANSACTIONS ON INFORMATION THEORY,VOI..17-27.NO. 2. MARCH 1981

II. ACONSTRUCTIONALGORITHM FORPERFECTBINARY

DAEC/SEBEC CODES
Let n be the codeword length, k be the number of information
symbols, and m be the number of check symbols in a binary
linear block code. We will now show that there exists a class of
perfect DAEC/SEBEC codes with n = 2”’ - 2, k = 2”’- 2 - m.
Theorem I: There exists a class of linear codes of length
2”’ - 2 and number of information symbols 2”’ - 2 - m that are
e Fig. 2. Feedbackshiftregister.

corresponding to different syndromes, according to [ll] and the

perfect in the sense of Definition 2 for the DCPSK channel, i.e., above discussion. Furthermore, since i;, is the all zero column in
all double adjacent errors and all single errors in the beginning R, single errors in the beginning and end positions in the code
and end bits (a total of 2”’ - 1 most probable error patterns) are constructed by crossing out the first (all zero) column of R
corrected by means of exactly 2”’ - 1 different nonzero syn- correspond respectively to the two syndromes
dromes.
s, =‘,cBF* =r; 29 (9)
Proof: The proof consists of a constructive
algorithm. The
following matrix is a parity check matrix for a Hamming code s, = F, 83 r,, = r,,. (10)
with I = 2”’ - 1 where 1 is the codeword length and m is the Since S, #S, #S, j=2;.* ,I - 1, we have constructed a per-
number of check symbols: fect DAEC/SEBEC code with the given parameters. The con-
R=(r,,r,,-..,rl), (1) struction algorithm and the proof of Theorem 1 are now com-
plete.
where r, is the column vector number i. The column vectors are
generated by means of a maximum length feedback shift register Note that the code constructed by means of the algorithm is a
[l], [6], [7], [9]. All columns are different, i.e., the code is a (full shortened Hamming code, i.e., the code is a single error correct-
length) Hamming d = 3 single error correcting code. ing code for the binary symmetric channel with independent
In [1] and in [ 11, appendix l] it has been shown that the matrix errors. The following is an example of the construction of a
formed by the columns t, defined below are generated by the DAEC/SEBEC code for m = 4, n = 14, and k = 10.
same maximal length shift register that generates ‘J, j = 1; . . ,I. Example: The feedback shift, register of Fig. 2 is used for
The columns t, are defined by constructing a (14.10) DAEC/SEBEC code. By using the proce-
dure above, we can construct the parity check matrix in a
t, =q@‘l+,, j= 1,2;..,1- 1, (2) systematic form for a DAEC/SEBEC code of length 14:
t, = r, @ rl (3) 10100110111000
H=1 1110 10 1100 100
(Note that the ‘J are the syndromes for single errors and that the 01111010110010’
fj can be viewed as syndromes for double adjacent errors (includ- i 10011011100001 1
mg I, in the cyclic sense; errors in the first and last position form
a double adjacent error).) The code is not cyclic, (see Section III). From the preceding
Thus the matrix formed by the columns i, is a cyclically shifted discussion we conclude that the codes constructed by means of
version of the matrix R given in (1). Furthermore, all the syn- the above algorithm are nontransparent, according to the follow-
dromes associated with all the I double adjacent errors (including ing argument. The full-length Hamming code is a transparent
the “cyclic” one) have different syndromes [l]. Assume without code. The full-length DAEC/SEBEC code with different col-
lack of generality that the first (leftmost) column in the parity umns is a Hamming code shortened one step. Such a code is
check matrix R is the all one column. (The shift register is started never transparent, and so the full-length DAEC/SEBEC codes in
with this register content.) A new matrix is generated by inverting the following chapter are also nontransparent. These codes are
the matrix R bitwise (complementing the binary symbols 0 + 1, constructed by means of an exhaustive computer search with the
1 -+ 0). In this new matrix, constraint that the columns be different. i.e., the DAEC/SEBEC
code must be a Hamming code.
R=(i;,,r,,-q,), (4
III. EXHAUSTIVECOMPUTERSEARCHRESULTS
the all zero column is the leftmost column.
The codes in this section are found by means of an exhaustive
A double adjacent error in a code defined by the matrix R has computer search [ 111.
the corresponding syndrome
S, =r,@c+,, i= 1,2;..,1- 1, (5) DAEC/SEBEC codes of Hamming type (with different columns)

S, = r, CT3
r, . Table II shows the number of aN shortened systematic (15,
(6)
1 I)-Hamming codes of DAEC/SEBEC type. For every code, an
From the discussion above and from Appendix I we know that illustrative example is given. All code-examples are written as
all the syndromes S,, j = 1,2; . . ,I are different (and nonzero).
Furthermore, in the columns in the matrix R, 0 0 1 1
S, =r,tBr,+, =i$@i,+,, i=1,2;..,I- 1, (7) l=$ 7=;, 14=;, 11=;, etc.
S, = r, CDr, = i, @ F, . (8) 1 1 0 1
Thus, if the matrix R with the leftmost column (all zero column) Such (n, k)-codes with k = 8 or 16 are of interest for computer
excluded is interpreted as a parity check matrix for a linear code, applications. Table II shows that there exist no systematic (12,8)
this code has the following properties: the number of check or (13,9) codes. (No nonsystematic codes exist either [ll]). A
symbols is m; the codeword length is n = I - 1 = 2”’ - 2; and the code with k = 16 information symbols should correct 2 single end
number of information symbols is 2” - 2 - m. bit errors and 15 double adjacent errors. Thus the minimum
The code has 2”’ - 1 different nonzero syndromes. There are number of check symbols is 5. The number of (21,16) codes
n - 1 different (in a noncyclic sense) double adjacent errors found exceeds 30 000.

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IEEETRANSACTIONS ON INFORMATION THEORY,VOL. IT-27.NO.2,MARCH 1981 253

TABLE II TABLE III

(n, k) DAEC/SEBEC CODES, WHERE k = n - 4 (n, k) DAEC/SEBEC
CODESGENERATEDFROMDIFFERENT
f-POLYNOMIALS
PRIMITIVEPOLYNOMIALSOVERGF(~)AREMARKEDWITH P
exarrple of corresponding H-matrix
-

5 8 4 2 1 m length n ldces
-
738421 4 10001
4 10011 P
9638421
10101 5.6
79638421 10111 5.6.7
11001 P
10 7 9 6 3 8 4 2 1 _--__
11011
13 579638421 11101 5.6,7
4 11111 _____
10 13 579638421 _____
5 100001
5 100011 --_--
100101 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 P
100111 6,7,8
13 5 15 11 12 14 7 9 6 3 8 4 2 1 101001 6,7.8,9,10,11,12.13.14 P
101011 6,7,8,9,10,11,12.13.14,15
101101 6.7
101111 6,7,8,9,10,11,12, P
110001 ____-
An example of a systematic (21,16) DAEC/SEBEC code is 110011 _____
given by the H-matrix 110101 6,7,8,9,10,11,12. 13,14,15
110111 6,7,8,9,10,11,12. 13 P

1
111001 6.7,8
110101010000000010000 111011 6,7,8,9,10,11,12. ,I3 P
111101 6,7,8,9,10,11,12 P
011010101110010001000
; 111111 6
-
000111101100101100010
H= / 001001011101110100001
111010001011101000100

TABLE IV
Cyclic properties
THE H-~~ATRIXISCONSTRUCTEDFROMTHEBINARYCOLUMN
A necessary condition for any of the codes of DAEC/SEBEC VECTORS CORRESPONDINGTOTHEDECIMALNUMBERSTHE
type to be cyclic codes or shortened cyclic codes is that the SYNDROMES CORRESPONDINGTO SINGLE ERRORSIN THE FIRST
generator matrix G be able to be written as (see [7], [lo]) AND THE LAST POSITIONSARETHE SAMEIN THIS CASE.THESE
CODESARENOTSHORTENEDHAMMINGCODES.

fo fl ... f,, 0 1.. 0 ’ Amber of

exarqle of corresponding H-matrix
0 f” fi ... f,, 0 ... 0 codes

G= 0 0 .. .
:
5
6
1
6
I a
138421
4 2 I

.
. .
.
7
8
37
205
1638421
19638421
0
9 768 1119638421

0 i, 0 d fo fl .:- fmI 10
11
1704
2883 1
1
12
579638421
579630421
12 4274 1 11 12 579638421
13 1892 15151310 7 9 6 3 a 4 21
If f.and f,, are set equal to one, there remain 2”‘-’ different 14 0
15 0
f-polynomials to check.
The following are the conclusions from the computer search:
i) Table III shows that none of the codes given in Table II are channel is
cyclic;
ii) A cyclic (21,16) DAEC/SEBEC code does not exist. The
Pwd=l-(l-Py+‘- .t’ P(l-P)”
longest cyclic code with m = 5 is a (14,9) code with a ( 1
polynomial f(x) equal to x5 +x2 + 1 or x5 +x3 + 1.
=~~‘(n~l)P,(l-p)~~+~-j,
The longest codes in Table III, i.e., n = 7 for m = 4 and n = 15 for (11)
m = 5, are actually d = 4 cyclic Hamming codes and therefore j=2

Abramson codes [l]. Such codes are, of course, also (subopti- where P is the bit error probability for PSK on the white
mum) DAEC/SEBEC codes. Gaussian noise channel [6]. Thus,
DA EC/SEBED codes
By searching for DAEC/SEBED rather than DAEC/SEBEC (12)
codes, we have found both a (12,8) and a (13,9) code. Table IV
gives the number of systematic DAEC/SEBED codes. Examples where E is the signal energy per channel symbol and No is the
of such codes are also given. noise spectral density (double sided). (11.4 dB corresponds to
P = 10 -4.) Also note that the bit error probability of the DCPSK
IV. CODEPERFORMANCEONTHE DCPSK CHANNEL channel given by
From the discussion, in Section I, we know that the error Pd =2P(l -P), (13)
events that are correctable by DAEC/SEBEC codes correspond
to single error events in n + 1 binary symbols before the differen- ([4], [S]), is very nearly twice the bit error probability of the PSK
tial decoding, where n is the codeword length of the for large and intermediate signal-to-noise ratios.
DAEC/SEBEC code. (See Table I and Fig. 1.) Thus, the proba- For comparison, note that the word error probability for a
bility of a block error with a DAEC/SEBEC code on the DCPSK Hamming single error correcting code of length n on a coherent

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 254
PSK channel is
P,,.
=;y( If)P/(l -P)‘lP’.
For large signal-to-noise ratios and for n = 14, we have P,,,d E
12OP” and P,,, E 91 P2.
For the Hamming/PSK case, the blocks and block errors are
completely independent. Thus the probability of error in two
adjacent blocks (words) is in this case
P,=P,‘-P4.
The DAEC/SEBEC code on the DCPSK channel yields a differ-
ent expression:
P2,, =(nP(l - P)“p’)2.P+,P4 -yms;
G P,$
Thus, f’z,, -P’ for large signal-to-noise ratios, since a single
error on the channel before the differential decoding is split into
two single errors, one in each of the two consecutive blocks. An
additional error in the remaining symbols in each block will cause
a double block error. Since a split error correlates the two block
errors, the probability (15) also differs from (16) with respect to
the power of P.
V. DISCUSSIONAND CONCLUSIONS
We have demonstrated the existence of a class of
DAEC/SEBEC codes that are perfect in the sense defined above.
A construction algorithm has been given for these codes. Com-
puter search results have shown that the construction algorithm
gives only a few of the total number of DAEC/SEBEC codes of
a given length. Computer search results have also shown that the
DAEC/SEBEC (14,lO) code cannot be shortened one and two
steps while maintaining the DAEC/SEBEC property and that
there are no cyclic full-length DAEC/SEBEC codes for short
lengths. Theoretical support for these results have, however, not
been found.
As was pointed out above, there exists no full length cyclic
DAEC/SEBEC codes. Thus, simple shift register encoders and
syndrome calculators [6] cannot be used. However, the encoder
and decoder can easily be implemented by means of read-only
memories (ROM).
An alternative approach to the one given here is to use inter-
leaving combined with random error correction. The advantage
of our approach is that we obtain a code matched to the error
patterns without using an interleaving step.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Thanks are due to Jan Schachtschabel who participated in this
work at an early stage.
REFERENCES
[II N. M. Abramson, “A class of systematic codes for non-independent
errors,” IRE Truns Inform.Thmy, pp 150- 157, Dec. 1959.
PI R. W. Hamming, “Error correcting and error detecting codes,” Be// Syst.
Tech. J., vol 29, pp 147- 160, Apr. 1950.
[31 .I. M. Wozencraft and I. M. Jacobs,Principles of Communicution En-
gineering. New York: Wiley, 1965.
[41 W. C. Lindsey and M. K. Simon, Telecommuniccrtion Systems En-
gineering. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974.
PI W. R. Bennett and J. R. Davey, Data Trunsmission. New York: Mc-
Graw- Hill. 1965.
WI S. Lin, An’ Introduction to Error Correcting Codes. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice Hall, 1970.
[71 W. W. Peterson and E. J. Weldon, Jr., Error-Correcting Codes, 2nd
Edition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1972.
PI C. E. Sundberg and N. Rydbeck, “On the error structure of differentially
encoded MPSK signals,” Telecommunication Theory, University of Lund,
Lund, Sweden. Tech. Rep. TR-78, Oct. 1975.
0018-9448/81/0300-0254$00.75
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II:lil: 1‘RANSAC’I‘IONS ON INI:ORMATION THEORY. VOL. m-27, NO. 2, MARCH 1981
[91 E. R. Berlekamp, Algehrulc Coding Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1968.
IlO1 R. G. Gallager. Information Theory und Reliuhle Communicution. New
York: Wiley, 1968.
[Ill M. Cedervall and C. E. Sundberg, “A class of perfect block codes for the
binary channel associated with differentially encoded PSK signals with
coherent detection.” Tech. Rep. TR-103, Telecommunication Theory,
University of Lund, Lund, Sweden, May 197X.
[lOI G. Birkhoff and S. MacLane, A Survey of Modern Algehru, third ed.
New York: MacMillan, 1965.
[I11 K. K. Tzeng. C. R. P. Hartmann, and R. T. Chico, “Some notes on
iterative decoding,” in Proc. Ninth Annucrl Allerton Conf. Circuit und
System Theory, pp. 689-695, 1971.
(15)
High-Speed Decoding of BCH Codes
(16)
C. L. CHEN
A hsrract- A general algorithm is derived for the calculation of the error
location polynomial in decoding a Bose- Chaudhuri- Hocquenguem (BCH)
code. A shorter decoding time is required by the algorithm for low-weight
errors because only a subset of the syndrome equations are to be satisfied.
The application of the general algorithm to Berlekamp’s algorithm is also
presented.
I. INTRODUCTION
The calculation of error location polynomials is a major step in
a typical decoding procedure for Bose- Chaudhuri- Hocquenghem
(BCH) codes [ 11, [2]. An efficient algorithm for the calculation of
the polynomial is the iterative algorithm introduced by Berlekamp
[l], [2], [3]. In this algorithm, the decoder first finds a solution to
a small set of equations and then tries to modify the solution so
that it satisfies a larger set of equations. Let t be the error
correcting capability of the code. The number of iterations is a
constant equal to t for binary codes and 2 t for nonbinary codes.
In many applications the errors can be assumed to be indepen-
dent either by nature or by the use of interleaved codes. Under
this assumption, an error pattern containing a small number of
erroneous symbols has a higher probability of occurrence than
has an error pattern containing a large number of erroneous
symbols. In this case a good strategy in decoding BCH codes is to
try the correction of a single error first. If the correction is
unsuccessful, an attempt is made to correct a double error. If the
correction is still not successful, attempts are made to correct
more errors. In fact this is the strategy used in Berlekamp’s
algorithm and in a specific practical example, [4]. The advantage
of the strategy is the increase in the decoding speed which is
crucial in many applications of error correcting codes.
When the correction of a particular number of errors is at-
tempted using the aforementioned strategy, the state of the art is
to check if all syndrome equations are satisfied [2], [4]. In this
paper, we show that only a subset of all possible syndrome
equations has to be satisfied. As a result, we have a general
algorithm for the calculation of the error location polynomial
that requires a smaller number of iterations. Since decoding time
increases with the number of iterations, our new algorithm results
in a shorter decoding time. A special application of the general
algorithm to triple error correction is described in [9]. The general
algorithm can also be applied to Berlekamp’s algorithm to cut
down the number of iterations in the case where the number of
erros is smaller than t. The new algorithm will provide a substan-
tial saving in decoding time if the low-weight errors are the
dominant errors.
Manuscript received July 3. 1979; revised June 18, 1980.
The author is with the IBM Corporation, Department D18, Building 707,
P. 0. Box 390. Poughkeepsie. NY 12602
0 1981 IEEE