Concatenated forward error correction decoder

1. A method of performing error correction comprising:

encoding a stream of data using concatenated reed-solomon and turbo-code error correcting codes comprising, packing said stream of data into a first frame of first blocks, generating said reed-solomon error correcting code for each of said first blocks, appending check symbols of said reed-solomon code to said first blocks to create a second frame of second blocks, packing said second frame of said second blocks into a third frame of third blocks comprising interleaving said second blocks into said third blocks, and generating said turbo-code error correcting code using said third blocks to create a fourth frame:

communicating said encoded data over a transmission system; and

decoding said encoded data using said reed-solomon and turbo-code error correcting codes and three levels of decoding comprising:

recovering check bits of said turbo-code error correcting code and said third blocks from said fourth frame;

correcting errors for said third blocks using said turbo-code error correcting code check bits;

unpacking said second blocks from said third blocks;

recovering said reed-solomon error correcting code check symbols and said first blocks from said second blocks;

correcting errors for said first blocks using said reed-solomon error correcting code check symbols;

appending said reed-solomon error correcting code check symbols to said corrected first blocks to create a fifth frame of fifth blocks;

packing said fifth frame of fifth blocks into a sixth frame of sixth blocks;

correcting errors for said sixth blocks using said turbo-code error correcting code;

unpacking said fifth blocks from said corrected sixth blocks; and

removing said reed-solomon error correcting code check symbols from said fifth blocks.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmission system is a long-haul transmission system.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said long-haul transmission system communicates said encoded data at least 600 kilometers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said unpacking said second blocks from said third blocks comprises deinterleaving said third blocks into said second blocks.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said packing said fifth frame comprises interleaving said fifth blocks into said sixth blocks.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said unpacking said fifth blocks comprises deinterleaving said corrected sixth blocks into said fifth blocks.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reed-solomon error correcting code is an 223/207 reed-solomon error correcting code.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reed-solomon error correcting code is (255/247) code and said turbo-code is a (64,57) turbo product code.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said turbo-code is selected from a group consisting of: turbo convolutional codes and turbo product codes.

10. A machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform forward error correcting comprising:

encoding a stream of data using concatenated reed-solomon and turbo-code error correcting codes comprising, packing said stream of data into a first frame of first blocks, generating said reed-solomon error correcting code for each of said first blocks, appending check symbols of said reed-solomon code to said first blocks to create a second frame of second blocks, packing said second frame of said second blocks into a third frame of third blocks comprising interleaving said second blocks into said third blocks, and generating said turbo-code error correcting code using said third blocks to create a fourth frame;

communicating said encoded data over a transmission system; and

decoding said encoded data using said reed-solomon and turbo-code error correcting codes and three level of decoding comprising:

recovering said turbo-code error correcting code and said third blocks from said fourth frame;

correcting errors for said third blocks using said turbo-code error correcting code;

unpacking said second blocks from said third blocks;

recovering said reed-solomon error correcting code check symbols and said first blocks from said second blocks;

correcting errors for said first blocks using said reed-solomon error correcting code check symbols;

appending said reed-solomon error correcting code check symbols to said corrected first blocks to create a fifth frame of fifth blocks;

packing said fifth frame of fifth blocks into a sixth frame of sixth blocks;

correcting errors for said sixth blocks using said turbo-code error correcting code;

unpacking said fifth blocks from said corrected sixth blocks; and

removing said reed-solomon error correcting code check symbols from said fifth blocks.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said transmission system is a long-haul transmission system.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said long-haul transmission system communicates said encoded data at least 600 kilometers.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said unpacking said second blocks from said third blocks comprises deinterleaving said third blocks into said second blocks.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said packing said fifth frame comprises interleaving said fifth blocks into said sixth blocks.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said unpacking said fifth blocks comprises deinterleaving said corrected sixth blocks into said fifth blocks.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said reed-solomon error correcting code is an 223/207 reed-solomon error correcting code.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said reed-solomon error correcting code is (255/247) code and said turbo-code is a (64,57) turbo product code.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said turbo-code is selected from a group consisting of: turbo convolutional codes and turbo product codes.