Abstract: A method and device employing an iterative MMSE equalization-decoder soft information exchange decoding. The method uses a MMSE equalizer which receives and outputs soft information. The equalizer exchanges soft information with a soft input soft output decoder, preferably an error correction decoder. The nature of the equalizer permits solutions beyond one-dimensional data streams and permits solutions for long channel lengths and multi-dimensional data since the solution is not a function of the channel impulse response.

Abstract: A network and a method for transmitting processes in a network are disclosed, where a randomized coding approach is provided. Network nodes transmit on each outgoing link a linear combination of incoming signals, specified by independently and randomly chosen code coefficients from a finite field. The approach allows robust, distributed transmission and compression of information in networks and is advantageous over routing-based approaches.

Abstract: An algorithmic soft-decision decoding method for Reed-Solomon codes proceeds as follows. Given the reliability matrix Π showing the probability that a code symbol of a particular value was transmitted at each position, computing a multiplicity matrix M which determines the interpolation points and their multiplicities. Given this multiplicity matrix M, soft interpolation is performed to find the non-trivial polynomial QM(X,Y) of the lowest (weighted) degree whose zeros and their multiplicities are as specified by the matrix M. Given this non-trivial polynomial QM(X,Y), all factors of QM(X,Y) of type Y−ƒ(X) are found, where ƒ(X) is a polynomial in X whose degree is less than the dimension k of the Reed-Solomon code. Given these polynomials ƒ(X), a codeword is reconstructed from each of them, and the most likely of these codewords selected as the output of the algorithm.