Partial-parallel decoder architecture for quasi-cyclic non-binary LDPC codes

Non-binary low-density parity-check (NB-LDPC) codes can achieve better error-correcting performance than binary LDPC codes when the code length is moderate. For the first time, this paper proposes a partial-parallel decoder architecture based on the Min-max algorithm for quasi-cyclic NB-LDPC codes. A novel boundary tracking based scheme and corresponding architecture are developed to implement the elementary step of the check node processing. In addition, layered decoding is applied, and the hardware units are optimized to reduce the latency and area. This paper also introduces an overlapped method for the check node processing among different layers to further speed up the decoding. From complexity analysis, the proposed decoder with 5 iterations for a (837,726) code over GF(2⁵) can easily achieve 60 Mbps throughput on ASIC devices. It is 40% more efficient than prior designs.