A Versatile Variable Rate LDPC Codec Architecture

This paper presents a system architecture for low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes that allows dynamic switching of LDPC codes within the encoder and decoder without hardware modification of these modules. Thus, rate compatibility is facilitated without the performance degradation inherent in a puncture-based system. This versatility also allows the LDPC system to be used in a variety of applications since the encoder and decoder can be used with codes that span a wide range of lengths and rates.