Method and apparatus for rectifying errors in the presence of known trapping sets in iterative decoders and expedited bit error rate testing

A method for determining low error rate behavior of a device comprising:

• obtaining a dominant trapping set of a code, the dominant trapping set containing a plurality of variable nodes;
• biasing bits associated with a programmable transmitter that is in communication with the device, the biased bits corresponding to the variable nodes of the dominant trapping set, the biased bits biased with a voltage bias that causes a greater number of error events in the device than without the voltage bias;
• transmitting random data from the programmable transmitter to the device, the random data including one or more of the biased bits;
• measuring a number of error events corresponding to biased bits received by the device that cannot be decoded;
• and
• determining a true bit error rate of the device based on the measured number of error events.

A computer readable medium containing program instruction tangibly stored thereon for determining low error rate behavior of a device, the computer readable medium containing instructions for:

• obtaining a dominant trapping set of a code, the dominant trapping set containing a plurality of variable nodes;
• biasing bits associated with a programmable transmitter that is in communication with the device, the biased bits corresponding to the variable nodes of the dominant trapping set, the biased bits biased with a voltage bias that causes a greater number of error events in the device than without the voltage bias;
• transmitting random data from the programmable transmitter to the device, the random data including one or more of the biased bits;
• measuring a number of error events corresponding to biased bits received by the device that cannot be decoded;
• and
• determining a true bit error rate of the device based on the measured number of error events.