New filling procedure to reduce delay of burst-error correcting array codes

A special procedure to fill the array of an array code (product code) is proposed that reduces the delay by about 35%, depending on the size of the array code. The method is based on an array code with diagonal readout, prefilling a region of ~30% of the array and then in parallel to the readout using diagonal, horizontal and vertical writing modes interchangeably. The mode changes are determined by a computer search, thereby minimising the number of prefilled components