Error correction code unit and error correction method

An error correction code (ECC) unit:

• an error correction code (ECC) encoder configured to perform error correction code (ECC) encoding for each of a plurality of first data groups and a plurality of second data groups, wherein each of the plurality of the first data groups includes a plurality of data arranged in a first direction, and each of the plurality of the second data groups is generated by grouping the plurality of the data in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
• and
• an error correction code (ECC) decoder configured to perform error correction code (ECC) decoding for each of the plurality of the first data groups and the plurality of the second data groups;
• wherein the ECC decoder performs the ECC decoding for the second data groups when the ECC decoding for at least one of the first data groups fails, and does not perform the ECC decoding for the second data groups when the ECC decoding for all of the first data groups succeeds.

An error correction method comprising:

• performing a first error correction code (ECC) encoding for each of a plurality of first data groups, wherein the each of the plurality of the first data groups includes a plurality of data arranged in a first direction;
• performing a second error correction code (ECC) encoding for each of a plurality of second data groups, wherein the each of the plurality of the second data groups is generated by grouping the plurality of data in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
• performing a first error correction code (ECC) decoding for the each of the plurality of the first data groups;
• and
• performing a second error correction code (ECC) decoding for the each of the plurality of the second data groups when the first ECC decoding for at least one of the plurality of the first data groups fails.