A Universal Reed-Solomon Decoder

Two architectures for universal Reed-Solomon decoders are given. These decoders, called time-domain decoders, work directly on the raw data word as received without the usual syndrome calculation or power-sum-symmetric functions. Up to the limitations of the working registers, the decoders can decode any Reed-Solomon codeword or BCH codeword in the presence of both errors and erasures. Provision is also made for decoding extended codes and shortened codes.