Methods and apparatus for map detection with reduced complexity

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for high-speed, low-power, high-performance channel detection. A soft output channel detector is provided that operates at a rate of 1/N and detects N bits per 1/N-rate clock cycle. The channel detector comprises a plurality, D, of MAP detectors operating in parallel, wherein each of the MAP detectors generates N/D log-likelihood ratio values per 1/N-rate clock cycle and wherein at least one of the plurality of MAP detectors constrains each of the bits. The log-likelihood ratio values can be merged to form an output sequence. A single MAP detector is also provided that comprises a forward detector for calculating forward state metrics; a backward detector for calculating backward state metrics; and a current branch detector for calculating a current branch metric, wherein at least two of the forward detector, the backward detector and the current branch detector employ different trellis structures.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.