Bit-level soft-decision decoding of Reed-Solomon codes

A Reed-Solomon decoder that makes use of bit-level soft-decision information is presented. A Reed-Solomon generator matrix that possesses a certain inherent structure in GF(2) is derived. This structure allows the code to be represented as a union of cosets, each coset being an interleaver of several binary BCH codes. Such partition into cosets provides a clue for efficient bit-level soft-decision decoding. Two decoding algorithms are derived. In the development of the first algorithm a memoryless channel is assumed, making the value of this algorithm more conceptual than practical. The second algorithm, which is obtained as a modification of the first, does account for channel memory and thus accommodates a bursty channel. Both decoding algorithms are, in many cases, orders of magnitude more efficient than conventional techniques. >