Area efficient on-the-fly error correction code (ECC) decoder architecture

A decoder that is operable to employ Berlekamp-Massey processing when decoding a Reed-Solomon (RS) coded signal, comprising:

• no more than a first plurality of registers and a second plurality of registers for use in storing error location polynomial coefficients, wherein each of the first plurality of registers and the second plurality of registers includes n registers and n is an integer;
• an error locator polynomial generation module that is operable to generate an error location polynomial based on a plurality of syndromes that corresponds to a received codeword of the RS coded signal;
• an error location search module that is operable to process the error location polynomial to locate an error within the RS coded signal;
• and wherein:
• the error location search module is operable to perform Chien searching to process the error location polynomial to locate the error within the RS coded signal;
• and wherein:
• during each iteration of a plurality of iterations, the error locator polynomial generation module is operable to:
• retrieve a previous plurality of error location polynomial coefficients from the first plurality of registers;
• retrieve a current plurality of error location polynomial coefficients from the second plurality of registers;
• employ the current plurality of error location polynomial coefficients and the previous plurality of error location polynomial coefficients when calculating a new plurality of error location polynomial coefficients;
• and
• store the new plurality of error location polynomial coefficients in the second plurality of registers;
• and
• the decoder is operable to employ the error location polynomial and the location of the error when performing Berlekamp-Massey decoding processing to make a best estimate of an information codeword encoded within the RS coded signal.

A method that is operable to employ Berlekamp-Massey decoding processing when decoding a Reed-Solomon (RS) coded signal, the method comprising:

• generating an error location polynomial based on a plurality of syndromes that corresponds to a received codeword of the RS coded signal;
• and wherein:
• during each iteration of a plurality of iterations:
• retrieving a previous plurality of error location polynomial coefficients from a first plurality of registers;
• retrieving a current plurality of error location polynomial coefficients from a second plurality of registers;
• employing the current plurality of error location polynomial coefficients and the previous plurality of error location polynomial coefficients when calculating a new plurality of error location polynomial coefficients;
• and
• storing the new plurality of error location polynomial coefficients in the second plurality of registers, wherein no more than the first plurality of registers and the second plurality of registers are employed for use in storing error location polynomial coefficients;
• and
• employing the error location polynomial when performing Berlekamp-Massey decoding processing to make a best estimate of an information codeword encoded within the RS coded signal.