Implementation of encoders and decoding performance analysis of direct product convolutional codes

Direct product convolutional codes are the result of a special concatenated scheme based on the well-known method of direct product for combining block codes. The approach taken for its construction is to consider convolutional codes as block codes over the field of rational functions F(D). This relatively new codes has been previously defined and investigated by the author, but in this instance, further properties and aspects about the product convolutional codes are considered. The new aspects studied are: some properties and physical realization of encoders, considerations on convergence of decoding based on EXIT charts and the effect of the blocking factor on BER performance in AWGN channel. In addition, the construction of multidimensional product convolutional codes is considered.