Patent ID: 7243287

Claim:
A decoder that is operable to decode an LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) coded signal, the decoder comprising: an m-bit symbol metric computer functional block that is operable to calculate a plurality of m-bit symbol metrics that correspond to a symbol of the LDPC coded signal wherein the symbol has m-bits; a symbol node calculator functional block that is operable to calculate a plurality of bit metrics using the plurality of m-bit symbol metrics; a bit node calculator functional block that is operable to initialize each edge message of a plurality of edge messages with respect to a plurality of bit nodes using the plurality of m-bit symbol metrics; a check node operator functional block that is operable to calculate each edge message of a plurality of edge messages with respect to a plurality of check nodes by calculating a product of terms function wherein those terms include each corresponding edge message within the plurality of edge messages with respect to the plurality of bit nodes; wherein the bit node calculator functional block is operable to update each edge message within the plurality of edge messages with respect to the plurality of bit nodes using each edge message of the calculated plurality of edge messages with respect to the plurality of check nodes; wherein the bit node calculator functional block and the check node operator functional block are cooperatively operable to perform iterative decoding processing thereby updating the plurality of edge messages with respect to the plurality of bit nodes and the plurality of edge messages with respect to the plurality of check nodes, respectively; and wherein the plurality of edge messages with respect to the plurality of bit nodes and the plurality of edge messages with respect to the plurality of check nodes correspond to a plurality of edges that communicatively couple a plurality of bit nodes to a plurality of check nodes within an LDPC bipartite graph that corresponds to an LDPC code by which the LDPC coded signal is generated.