Energy-Efficient High-Throughput VLSI Architectures for Product-Like Codes

Abstract

Implementing forward error correction (FEC) for modern long-haul fiber-optic communication systems is a challenge, since these high-throughput systems require FEC circuits that can combine high coding gains and energy-efficient operation. We present very large scale integration (VLSI) decoder architectures for product-like codes for systems with strict throughput and power dissipation requirements. To reduce energy dissipation, our architectures are designed to minimize data transfers in and out of memory blocks, and to use parallel noniterative component decoders. Using a mature 28-nm VLSI process technology node, we showcase different product and staircase decoder implementations that have the capacity to exceed 1-Tb/s information throughputs with energy efficiencies of around 2 pJ/b.