Rate adaptive non-binary LDPC codes with low encoding complexity

For error-correction codes, the optimal coding rate can vary and depend on factors including channel, time-varying fading, environmental interference, power, bandwidth allocation, communication content, and application. Rate adaptive coding schemes are thus important for robust communications. This writeup proposes and studies a rate adaptive low density parity check (LDPC) coding scheme using non-binary Galois fields (GF). The algorithm uses a single low complexity encoding structure, but maintains strong near-capacity performance at arbitrary rational rates. The rate adaptive encoder can be used in a space-time code for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems and is shown to achieve near capacity performance at various rates and different MIMO configurations.