Patent ID: 8386880

Claim:
A decoding method for non-binary codes, in particular for non-binary LDPC codes, amenable to representation by a bipartite graph with N variable vertices and M constraint vertices, the variables drawing their values from a non-binary alphabet A and being linearly constrained by means of a constraint matrix (H), each variable being represented by a plurality p of binary values, wherein: a plurality p >p of binary values, called extended binary values, is generated for each variable, obtained by p linear combinations with coefficients from F 2 of said p binary values, excluding the zero combination, wherein F 2 is a two element Galois field; a parity matrix is calculated, called the extended parity matrix, representing parity checks on the extended binary values of the variables, called extended parity checks, said extended parity checks being induced by the constraints on said variables; an iterative message-passing decoding process is carried out with the use of a second bipartite graph, called an extended graph, representing the extended parity matrix and connecting the extended parity checks with the extended binary values of the variables; the binary values of each variable are determined from its extended binary values, obtained at the conclusion of the iterative decoding process.