Low complexity soft demapping for non-binary LDPC codes

This article focuses on non-binary wireless transmission, where “non-binary” refers to the use of non-binary Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes for Forward Error Correction. The complexity of the non-binary soft demapper is addressed in particular when one non-binary Galois Field (GF) symbol spreads across multiple Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) symbols and Space-Time Block Code (STBC) codewords. A strategy is devised to guarantee an efficient mapping at the transmitter, together with an algorithm at the receiver for low complexity soft Maximum Likelihood demapping. The proposed solution targets a trade-off between performance and complexity, and removes any restriction on the setting of the GF order, QAM constellation order, and STBC scheme. This makes the non-binary LDPC codes even more appealing for potential use in practical wireless communication systems.