Flexible-Rate Polar Decoder Using Super Nodes to Cut Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional polar codes suffer from high-decoding latency due to the sequential nature of successive cancellation (SC) decoding algorithms, which limits the achievable throughput in high-throughput optical communication systems.
Innovation Solution
The development of flexible-rate polar decoder-based communication systems, which involve generating a unified binary tree from binary trees associated with different overheads, determining super nodes, and implementing this unified binary tree on application-specific hardware to create a flexible-rate polar decoder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If successive cancellation (SC) based decoding algorithms are used for polar codes, then the capacity-achieving properties and low-complexity encoding are achieved, but the sequential nature causes high decoding latency and reduced throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the binary tree into multiple parallel processing paths by identifying and extracting special nodes (such as SPC nodes, repetition nodes, and rate-0/rate-1 nodes) that can be decoded independently. This segmentation allows the decoder to process different segments of the code simultaneously rather than sequentially, thereby reducing decoding latency while maintaining the capacity-achieving properties of polar codes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic parallelization by adaptively identifying special nodes based on the specific polar code configuration and overhead requirements. The decoder dynamically adjusts which nodes are processed in parallel versus sequentially, optimizing the balance between decoding latency and computational complexity for different operating conditions.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional polar codes with fixed structure are used, then the decoding algorithm is well-defined, but the hardware resources are not efficiently utilized for varying overhead requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal decoder architecture that can handle multiple polar code configurations with different overheads by incorporating a library of special node types (SPC, repetition, rate-0, rate-1 nodes). The same hardware structure can be configured to decode various code rates and overheads by selectively activating appropriate special nodes, eliminating the need for separate dedicated hardware for each code configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables adaptability by allowing the decoder to change its operational parameters based on the input code characteristics. The system dynamically adjusts which special nodes are instantiated and how they are connected in the binary tree, changing the structural parameters of the decoder to match the required overhead and code rate, thereby achieving versatility without sacrificing algorithmic clarity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for decoding polar codes based encoded data comprises receiving the polar codes based encoded data, determining a rate at which the data is encoded, based on the determined rate, selecting suitable implemented super nodes in a flexible-rate polar decoder, and decoding the polar codes based encoded data. A receiver in a communication system, including a flexible-rate polar decoder; and a controller configured to: receive the polar codes based encoded data; determine a rate at which the data is encoded; based on the determined rate, select suitable implemented super nodes in a flexible-rate polar decoder; and decode the polar codes based encoded data.