Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Error correction coding is an essential part of any communication system. It allows reliable transmission of information over communication channels such as Internet, wireless, cellular, optical and satellite links. It also allows for reliable retrieval of information from storage devices such as hard drives, CDs and DVDs. To evaluate the error rate performance of a coding scheme, Monte Carlo simulations based on software are often used. For a reliable estimation of error rates, the reach of such simulations however is limited to rather high error rates of about 10^(-7). To reach error rates of order 10^(-10), even with the state-of-the-art computers, would take days. This is while for some applications such as optical communications and storage devices, error rates down to 10^(-15) are required. This is simply out of the reach of software Monte Carlo simulations. In such cases, hardware simulations have to be used. This proposal is for a hardware prototyping system that will be used to analyze the error rate performance of the state-of-the-art coding schemes, such as low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes, at very low error rates. The system will support our on-going research on the design, analysis and implementation of high-performance LDPC codes in applications where low error rates are required. The outcome of this research will give Canada a competitive edge in providing advanced error correction solutions for a variety of applications.