On-the-fly multibyte error correcting system

A multibyte error correcting method for correcting up to t errors in a selected codeword containing up to 2.sup.b character positions, where each character is represented by a byte consisting of a unique combination of "b" binary bits, by processing 2t syndrome bytes, each containing "b" bits which were generated by combining write check bytes and read check bytes generated respectively when data is written into and read from a storage medium, said check bytes corresponding to the modulo 2 sum of bit positions of said codeword that were selected systembatically in accordance with a parity check matrix reflecting the roots .alpha..sup.a, .alpha..sup.a+1, .alpha..sup.a+2, . . . , .alpha..sup.a+2t-1 of a generator polynomial where .alpha. is an element of the finite field of 2.sup.b elements, said method comprising:

• generating 2t syndrome bytes from said selected codeword as it is read from the storage medium into said system;
• effecting concurrent serial transfer of bytes of said selected codeword read out from said system and bytes of the next codeword read from the storage medium into said system by a clock signal so that during each clock cycle one byte of said next codeword is transferred into said system and one byte of said selected codeword is transferred out of said system;
• and
• correcting up to t erroneous bytes in said selected codeword in response to said 2t syndrome bytes during the transfer of bytes from said system as said next codeword is entered into said system, whereby said selected codeword and said next codeword are processed in a continuous stream of serial bytes.