Low Delay 3-Bit Burst Error Correction Codes

Abstract

The increasing importance of Multiple Cell Upsets (MCUs) in modern memories has spurred research on error correction codes that can correct adjacent bit errors. For example, Double Adjacent Error Correction (DAEC), 3-bit burst and 4-bit burst codes have been proposed in the last years. However, as the error correction capabilities are increased so is the complexity of the encoder and decoder circuits. This directly impacts the encoding and decoding delay and thus limits the use of the codes in high speed memories. To reduce the complexity, some techniques have been proposed recently. Those include more advanced optimization programs to find codes with a lower number of ones in the parity check matrix or the interleaving of data and parity check bits to simplify the decoding. In this paper, those techniques are combined to design more efficient 3-bit burst error correction codes. The encoders and decoders for the proposed codes have been implemented and compared with the state of the art 3-bit burst error correction codes. The results show that the new codes reduce the encoder and decoder delay significantly. Therefore, the proposed codes provide memory designers with a more efficient option to implement protection against 3-bit burst errors for high speed memories.