Generalized low-density parity-check codes based on Hadamard constraints

In this paper, we consider the design and analysis of generalized low-density parity-check (GLDPC) codes in AWGN channels. The GLDPC codes are specified by a bipartite Tanner graph, as with standard LDPC codes, but with the single parity-check constraints replaced by general coding constraints. In particular, we consider imposing Hadamard code constraints at the check nodes for a low-rate approach, termed LDPC-Hadamard codes. We introduce a low-complexity message-passing based iterative soft-input soft-output (SISO) decoding algorithm, which employs the a posteriori probability (APP) fast Hadamard transform (FHT) for decoding the Hadamard check codes at each decoding iteration. The achievable capacity with the GLDPC codes is then discussed. A modified LDPC-Hadamard code graph is also proposed. We then optimize the LDPC-Hadamard code ensemble using a low-complexity optimization method based on approximating the density evolution by a one-dimensional dynamic system represented by an extrinsic mutual information transfer (EXIT) chart. Simulation results show that the optimized LDPC-Hadamard codes offer better performance in the low-rate region than low-rate turbo-Hadamard codes, but also enjoy a fast convergence rate. A rate-0.003 LDPC-Hadamard code with large block length can achieve a bit-error-rate (BER) performance of 10^-5 1.44 dB, which is only 0.15 dB away from the ultimate Shannon limit (-1.592 dB) and 0.24 dB better than the best performing low-rate turbo-Hadamard codes. © 2007 IEEE.