A microprocessor based decoder for BCH codes

The Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghein (BCH) codes are best constructive codes for channels in which error affect successive symbols independently. The decoding procedure of these codes is well documented and some decoders have been built. However these decoders have disadvantages in hardware complexity, decoding delay, size and cost. In this paper we present some preliminary results on the implementation of a binary BCH decoder involving a combination of specially designed hardware for some operations and a software implementation on a microprocessor for the remaining operations. Wim such a microprocessor based decoder, a large number of different BCH codes can be accommodated with little or no hardware changes. The decoding task is a function of the software and thus allows common hardware to support a wide range of functions.