Multi-mode iterative detector

A read channel for reading data stored on a storage medium, comprising:

• a soft channel decoder to decode data stored on the storage medium;
• a soft linear block code decoder to decode data decoded by said soft channel decoder,
• wherein in a first iteration, said soft channel decoder decodes the data stored on the storage medium,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, said soft channel decoder decodes the data stored on the storage medium and utilizes information decoded by said soft linear block decoder from an immediately preceding iteration;
• and
• a threshold check circuit to select
• an output of said soft linear block code decoder if a number of parity-check violations is less than a threshold, or
• an output of said soft channel decoder if a number of violations is greater than the threshold.

A storage system for storing data on a storage medium, comprising:

• encoder means for encoding data;
• linear block encoder means for encoding data encoded by said encoder means;
• data writing means for writing an output of said linear block encoder means to the storage medium;
• data reading means for reading data from the storage medium;
• soft channel decoding means for decoding data;
• soft linear block code decoding means for decoding data decoded by said soft channel decoding means,
• wherein in a first iteration, said soft channel decoding means decodes the data read by said data reading means,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, said soft channel decoding means decodes the data read by said data reading means and utilizes information decoded by said soft linear block decoding means from an immediately preceding iteration;
• threshold determining means for selecting
• an output of said soft linear block code decoding means if a number of parity-check violations is less than a threshold, or
• an output of said soft channel decoding means if a number of violations is greater than the threshold;
• and
• decoding means for decoding an output of said threshold determining means.

A read channel for reading data stored on a storage medium, comprising:

• soft channel decoding means for decoding data stored on the storage medium;
• soft linear block code decoding means for decoding data decoded by said soft channel decoding means,
• wherein in a first iteration, said soft channel decoding means decodes the data stored on the storage medium,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, said soft channel decoding means decodes the data stored on the storage medium and utilizes information decoded by said soft linear block decoding means from an immediately preceding iteration;
• and
• threshold determining means for selecting
• an output of said soft linear block code decoding means if a number of parity-check violations is less than a threshold, or
• an output of said soft channel decoding means if a number of violations is greater than the threshold.

A method for storing data on and reading data from a storage medium, comprising the steps of:

• (a) encoding the data to be stored on the storage medium;
• (b) linear block encoding the data encoded in step (a);
• to the storage medium;
• (d) reading the data from the storage medium;
• (e) soft channel decoding the data read in step (d);
• (f) soft linear block code decoding the data decoded in step (e),
• wherein in a first iteration, step (e) decodes the data read in step (d)
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, step (e) decodes the data read in step (d) and utilizes information decoded from step (f) from an immediately preceding iteration;
• (g) calculating a number of parity-check violations from step (f);
• (h) selecting
• the data decoded in step (e) if a number of parity-check violations is less than a threshold, or
• the data decoded in step (f) if a number of violations is greater than the threshold;
• and
• (i) decoding the data selected in step (h).

A method for decoding data read from a storage medium, comprising the steps of:

• (a) soft channel decoding the data read from the storage medium;
• (b) soft linear block code decoding the data decoded in step (a),
• wherein in a first iteration, step (a) decodes the data read from the storage medium,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, step (a) decodes the data from the storage medium and utilizes information decoded from step (b) from an immediately preceding iteration;
• and
• (c) calculating a number of parity-check violations from step (b);
• (d) selecting
• the data decoded in step (a) if a number of parity-check violations is less than a threshold, or
• the data decoded in step (b) if a number of violations is greater than the threshold.

A computer program embodied in a medium for storing data on and reading data from a storage medium, the computer program comprising the steps of:

• (a) encoding the data to be stored on the storage medium;
• (b) linear block encoding the data encoded in step (a);
• to the storage medium;
• (d) reading the data from the storage medium;
• (e) soft channel decoding the data read in step (d);
• (f) soft linear block code decoding the data decoded in step (e),
• wherein in a first iteration, step (e) decodes the data read in step (d)
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, step (e) decodes the data read in step (d) and utilizes information decoded from step (f) from an immediately preceding iteration;
• (g) calculating a number of parity-check violations from step (f);
• (h) selecting
• the data decoded in step (e) if a number of parity-check violations is less than a threshold, or
• the data decoded in step (f) if a number of violations is greater than the threshold;
• and
• (i) decoding the data selected in step (h).

A computer program embodied in a medium for decoding data read from a storage medium, the computer program comprising the steps of:

• (a) soft channel decoding the data read from the storage medium;
• (b) soft linear block code decoding the data decoded in step (a),
• wherein in a first iteration, step (a) decodes the data read from the storage medium,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, step (a) decodes the data from the storage medium and utilizes information decoded from step (b) from an immediately preceding iteration;
• and
• (c) calculating a number of parity-check violations from step (b);
• (d) selecting
• the data decoded in step (a) if a number of parity-check violations is less than a threshold, or
• the data decoded in step (b) if a number of violations is greater than the threshold.

A data transmission system for transmitting data to and receiving data from a communication channel, comprising:

• an encoder to encode data;
• a linear block encoder to encode data encoded by said encoder;
• a transmitter to transmit an output of said linear block encoder to the communication channel;
• a soft channel decoder to decode data;
• a soft linear block code decoder to decode data decoded by said soft channel decoder,
• wherein in a first iteration, said soft channel decoder decodes the data from the communication channel,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, said soft channel decoder decodes the data read by a read circuit and utilizes information decoded by said soft linear block decoder from an immediately preceding iteration;
• a decision circuit to select
• an output of said soft linear block code decoder if an evaluated criterion is less than a threshold, or
• an output of said soft channel decoder if the evaluated criterion is greater than the threshold;
• and
• a decoder to decode an output of said decision circuit.

A decoder for decoding data from a communication channel, comprising:

• a soft channel decoder to decode data from the communication channel;
• a soft linear block code decoder to decode data decoded by said soft channel decoder,
• wherein in a first iteration, said soft channel decoder decodes the data from the communication channel,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, said soft channel decoder decodes from the communication channel and utilizes information decoded by said soft linear block decoder from an immediately preceding iteration;
• and
• a decision circuit to select
• an output of said soft linear block code decoder if an evaluated criterion is less than a threshold, or
• an output of said soft channel decoder if the evaluated criterion is greater than the threshold.

A data transmission system for transmitting data to and receiving data from a communication channel,

• encoder means for encoding data;
• linear block encoder means for encoding data encoded by said encoder means;
• transmitting means for transmitting an output of said linear block encoder means to the communication channel;
• soft channel decoding means for decoding data from the communication channel;
• soft linear block code decoding means for decoding data decoded by said soft channel decoding means,
• wherein in a first iteration, said soft channel decoding means decodes the data from the communication channel,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, said soft channel decoding means decodes the data from the communication channel and utilizes information decoded by said soft linear block decoding means from an immediately preceding iteration;
• decision means for selecting
• an output of said soft linear block code decoding means if an evaluated criterion is less than a threshold, or
• an output of said soft channel decoding means if the evaluated criterion is greater than the threshold;
• and
• decoding means for decoding an output of said decision means.

A decoder for decoding data from a communication channel, comprising:

• soft channel decoding means for decoding data from the communication channel;
• soft linear block code decoding means for decoding data decoded by said soft channel decoding means,
• wherein in a first iteration, said soft channel decoding means decodes the data from the communication channel,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, said soft channel decoding means decodes the data from the communication channel and utilizes information decoded by said soft linear block decoding means from an immediately preceding iteration;
• and
• decision means for selecting
• an output of said soft linear block code decoding means if an evaluated criterion is less than a threshold, or
• an output of said soft channel decoding means if the evaluated criterion is greater than the threshold.

A method for transmitting data to and receiving data from a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

• (a) encoding the data to be transmitted to the communication channel;
• (b) linear block encoding the data encoded in step (a);
• (c) transmitting the data form to the communication channel;
• (d) receiving the data from to the communication channel;
• (e) soft channel decoding the data read in step (d);
• (f) soft linear block code decoding the data decoded in step (e),
• wherein in a first iteration, step (e) decodes the data received in step (d)
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, step (e) decodes the data received in step (d) and utilizes information decoded from step (f) from an immediately preceding iteration;
• (g) selecting
• the data decoded in step (e) if an evaluated criterion is less than a threshold, or
• the data decoded in step (f) if the evaluated criterion is greater than the threshold;
• and
• (h) decoding the data selected in step (g).

A method for decoding data received from a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

• (a) soft channel decoding the data read from the communication channel;
• (b) soft linear block code decoding the data decoded in step (a),
• wherein in a first iteration, step (a) decodes the data read from the storage medium,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, step (a) decodes the data from the storage medium and utilizes information decoded from step (b) from an immediately preceding iteration;
• and
• (c) selecting
• the data decoded in step (a) if an evaluated criterion is less than a threshold, or
• the data decoded in step (b) if the evaluated criterion is greater than the threshold.

A computer program embodied in a medium for transmitting data to and receiving data from a communication channel, the computer program comprising the steps of:

• (a) encoding the data to be transmitted to the communication channel;
• (b) linear block encoding the data encoded in step (a);
• (c) transmitting the data form to the communication channel;
• (d) receiving the data from to the communication channel;
• (e) soft channel decoding the data read in step (d);
• (f) soft linear block code decoding the data decoded in step (e),
• wherein in a first iteration, step (e) decodes the data received in step (d)
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, step (e) decodes the data received in step (d) and utilizes information decoded from step (f) from an immediately preceding iteration;
• (g) selecting
• the data decoded in step (e) if an evaluated criterion is less than a threshold, or
• the data decoded in step (f) if the evaluated criterion is greater than the threshold;
• and
• (h) decoding the data selected in step (g).

A computer program embodied in a medium for decoding data received from a communication channel, the computer program comprising the steps of:

• (a) soft channel decoding the data read from the communication channel;
• (b) soft linear block code decoding the data decoded in step (a),
• wherein in a first iteration, step (a) decodes the data read from the communication channel,
• wherein in a succeeding iteration, step (a) decodes the data from the communication channel and utilizes information decoded from step (b) from an immediately preceding iteration;
• and
• (c) selecting
• the data decoded in step (a) if an evaluated criterion is less than a threshold, or
• the data decoded in step (b) if the evaluated criterion is greater than the threshold.