2D product code and method for detecting false decoding errors

1. An apparatus for forward error correction, the apparatus comprising:

a decoder, operable to iteratively decode a data frame encoded using a multi-dimensional product code, the decoder comprising:

a syndrome operable to:

determine existence of errors in the data frame, and

transmit the data frame to a storage element; and

a first internal decoder and a second internal decoder operable to:

iteratively decode the data frame based on a determination of existence of errors by the syndrome, and

generate decoding data; and

an error correction element operable to:

compare the decoding data received from the first internal decoder with the data frame received from the storage element, and

correct errors in the data frame.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multi-dimensional product code comprises a first error-correcting code and a second error-correcting code, and wherein the first error-correcting code is applied to a plurality of rows of the data frame as an error-correcting row code, and the second error-correcting code is applied to a plurality of columns of the data frame as an error-correcting column code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data frame comprises bit-wise interleaved data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said multi-dimensional product code comprises a first Bose Ray-Chaudhuri Hocquenghem (BCH) code and a second BCH code.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said first BCH code and said second BCH code are interleaved to produce said multi-dimensional product code for forward error correction.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said multi-dimensional product code is transmitted row-by-row with said error correcting column code interleaved within each of said plurality of rows.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the decoder is further operable to:

generate, at the first internal decoder, first decoding data corresponding to the data frame;

transmit the first decoding data, from the first internal decoder, to the second internal decoder; and

generate, at the second internal decoder, second decoding data corresponding to the data frame and the first decoding data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

transmit the second decoding data, from the second internal decoder, to the first internal decoder; and

generate, at the first internal decoder, third decoding data corresponding to the data frame and the second decoding data.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the decoder iteratively decodes the data frame until a stop condition occurs.

10. A method of forward error correction, the method comprising:

determining errors, using a syndrome, in a data frame encoded using a multi-dimensional product code;

transmitting, from the syndrome, the data frame to a storage element;

iteratively decoding the data frame, based on the determination by the syndrome, using a decoder comprising a first internal decoder and a second internal decoder;

generating, using the decoder, decoding data;

correcting the data frame, using an error correction element, wherein the error correction element is operable to:

compare the decoding data received from the first internal decoder with the data frame received from the storage element, and

correct errors in the data frame.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving the data frame, wherein:

the multi-dimensional product code comprises a first error-correcting code and a second error-correcting code;

the first error-correcting code is applied to a plurality of rows of the data frame as an error-correcting row code;

the second error-correcting code is applied to a plurality of columns of the data frame as an error-correcting column code.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data frame comprises bit-wise interleaved data.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein said multi-dimensional product code comprises a first Bose Ray-Chaudhuri Hocquenghem (BCH) code and a second BCH code.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said first BCH code and said second BCH code are interleaved to produce said multi-dimensional product code for forward error correction.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said multi-dimensional product code is transmitted row-by-row with said error correcting column code interleaved within each of said plurality of rows.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the iteratively decoding further comprises:

generating, at the first internal decoder, first decoding data corresponding to the data frame;

transmitting the first decoding data, from the first internal decoder, to the second internal decoder; and

generating, at the second internal decoder, second decoding data corresponding to the data frame and the first decoding data.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting the second decoding data, from the second internal decoder, to the first internal decoder; and

generating, at the first internal decoder, third decoding data corresponding to the data frame and the second decoding data.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the decoder iteratively decodes the data frame until a stop condition occurs.

19. A programmable circuit for forward error correction, the programmable circuit comprising:

a decoder, operable to iteratively decode a data frame encoded using a multi-dimensional product code, the decoder comprising:

a syndrome operable to:

determine existence of errors in the data frame, and

transmit the data frame to a storage element; and

a first internal decoder and a second internal decoder operable to:

iteratively decode the data frame based on a determination of existence of errors by the syndrome, and

generate decoding data; and

an error correction element operable to:

compare the decoding data received from the first internal decoder with the data frame received from the storage element, and

correct errors in the data frame.

20. The programmable circuit of claim 19 , wherein the decoder is further operable to:

generate, at the first internal decoder, first decoding data corresponding to the data frame;

transmit the first decoding data, from the first internal decoder, to the second internal decoder; and

generate, at the second internal decoder, second decoding data corresponding to the data frame and the first decoding data.