Abstract: An execution unit that performs both Reed-Solomon Error Correction Code (R-S ECC) encoding and R-S ECC syndrome generation within a combinational circuit coupled between an input buffer and an output buffer.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for generating syndromes in a Reed-Solomon Error Correction Code decoder is disclosed. An encoder that encodes the modified code polynomial and generates a parity polynomial based on said modified code polynomial, is provided. The encoder provides the parity polynomial to a syndrome generator. The syndrome generator based on the parity polynomial generates syndromes that are provided to an error location unit and an error evaluation unit. The error location unit generates intermediate locations of corrupted symbols in a data block based on the syndromes. The error location unit determines the true location of the corrected symbols in a data block based upon the intermediate values by subtracting each intermediate location from a constant M (where M is the total number of generated parity symbols) and performing a modulo operation on the difference with 2.sup.N (where N is the bit-length of the data symbol in the Galois Field).