Methods and apparatus for constant-weight encoding & decoding

A method comprising:

• decoding encoded data sub-words of an encoded data word into corresponding data sub-words of a decoded data word, a first sub-word of the encoded data sub-words being decoded using information carried in the first sub-word and in the encoded data sub-words other than the first sub-word, the encoded data sub-words having more data elements than the decoded data word.

An encoder module to encode a data word, whose data elements occupy at least a first logic state and a second logic state, said encoder module comprising:

• at least two sub-word paths, each of said at least two sub-word paths to receive a data sub-word comprising a set of data elements of the data word, the data sub-words on said at least two sub-word paths comprising the data word;
• and
• an encoder coupled with said at least two sub-word paths, said encoder to encode the data sub-word on each of said at least two sub-word paths into a corresponding encoded data sub-word of an encoded data word using the data sub-word and information in the data word that is not carried in the data sub-word.

A method of encoding a data word, whose data elements occupy at least a first logic state and a second logic state, said method comprising:

• receiving data sub-words of the data word, each of the data sub-words comprising a set of data elements of the data word, the data sub-words comprising the data word;
• and
• encoding the data sub-words into corresponding encoded data sub-words of an encoded data word, a first sub-word of the data sub-words being encoded using the first sub-word and information carried in the data sub-words other than the first sub-word.

A decoder module to decode an encoded data word, whose encoded data elements occupy at least a first logic state and a second logic state, said decoder module comprising:

• at least two sub-word paths, each of said at least two sub-word paths to receive an encoded data sub-word comprising a set of data elements of the encoded data word, the encoded data sub-words on said at least two sub-word paths comprising the encoded data word;
• and
• a decoder coupled with said at least two sub-word paths, said decoder to decode the encoded data sub-word on each of said at least two sub-word paths into a corresponding data sub-word of a data word using the encoded data sub-word and information in the encoded data word that is not carried in the encoded sub-word, the encoded data sub-word on each of said at least two sub-word paths having less data elements than the corresponding data sub-word.

A method of decoding an encoded data word, whose encoded data elements occupy at least a first logic state and a second logic state, said method comprising:

• receiving encoded data sub-words of the encoded data word, each of the encoded data sub-words comprising a set of data elements of the encoded data word, the encoded data sub-words comprising the encoded data word;
• and
• decoding the encoded data sub-words into corresponding data sub-words of a data word, a first sub-word of the encoded data sub-words being decoded using the first sub-word and information carried in the encoded data sub-words other than the first sub-word.