Rank metric decoder architectures for noncoherent error control in random network coding

While random network coding has proved to be a powerful tool for disseminating information in networks, it is highly susceptible to errors caused by various sources. Recently, constant-dimension codes (CDCs), especially Koumltter-Kschischang (KK) codes, have been proposed for error control in random network coding. It has been shown that KK codes can be constructed from Gabidulin codes, an important class of rank metric codes used in storage and cryptography. Although rank metric decoders have been proposed for both Gabidulin and KK codes, it is not clear whether such decoders are feasible and suitable for hardware implementations. In this paper, we propose novel decoder architectures for both codes. The synthesis results of our decoder architectures for Gabidulin and KK codes over small fields and with limited error-correcting capabilities not only are affordable, but also achieve high throughput.