Abstract: Integrated circuits are provided that use on-chip data compression and decompression to minimize consumption of interconnect resources. Parallel-to-serial converter circuitry can use time-division multiplexing techniques to compress data. The compressed data may be conveyed between circuit blocks on the integrated circuit using a reduced number of parallel interconnect conductors. After the compressed data has been conveyed to its destination, a serial-to-parallel converter may use time-division demultiplexing techniques to decompress the data. Interconnect resources may be shared by dedicated circuits. With this arrangement, signals can be selectively steered through the appropriate dedicated circuitry to either maximize performance or to use compression and decompression to minimize interconnect resource consumption.

Abstract: A trellis decoding system is provided having a memory for storing a sequence of received signals. The signals have been encoded prior to transmission by a trellis encoder such that each of a predetermined plurality of symbols represents an allowed transition from an originating state to a predetermined limited number of terminating states. The system includes a trellis decoder for decoding the sequence of received signals into a corresponding sequence of the symbols. A soft decision generator is provided. The soft decision generator is responsive to the signals stored in the memory and to the output of the trellis decoder and determines a soft decision parameter representative of confidence level of the trellis decoder in properly decoding the received signal into each one of the symbols. The determined soft decision parameter is tagged to each one of such symbols subsequent to the trellis decoder decoding the sequence of received signals into the corresponding sequence of symbols.

Abstract: In a radio communication system (100), enhanced communication capability is provided while maintaining standard channel modulation compatibility. At a transmitter (110, 200, 600), a first information signal is generated from data according to a predefined standard modulation scheme (212, 613). A second information signal is generated from data that provides supplemental information to the standard modulated data (213, 616). For transmission, the first and second information signals are combined into a composite signal (214, 619) that represents the first information signal when interpreted according to the predefined standard modulation scheme.