Error detection and correction codes for channels and memories with incomplete error characteristics

A receiver for receiving data transmitted over a channel, comprising:

• an input for receiving data from the channel;
• a channel decoder configured to decode the received data according to a code to produce decoded data, the code comprising a set of code words each comprising one or more symbols and corresponding to a data word of data received from a data source, wherein a minimum modified Hamming separation between any two code words of the set of code words is greater than a minimum Hamming distance between the two code words of the set of code words;
• and
• an output for outputting the decoded data to a destination.

A semiconductor memory device, comprising:

• a plurality of memory cells for storing data;
• and
• a memory controller, the memory controller comprising:
• a transmitter comprising:
• an input for receiving data to be written in the memory cells;
• an encoder configured to encode the received data according to a code to produce encoded data, the code comprising a set of code words each comprising one or more symbols and corresponding to a data word of the received data, wherein a minimum modified Hamming separation between any two code words of the set of code words is greater than a minimum Hamming distance between the two code words of the set of code words;
• and
• an output for writing the encoded data to the memory cells;
• and
• a receiver comprising:
• an input for receiving read data from the memory cells;
• a decoder configured to decode the received data according to the code to produce decoded data;
• and
• an output for outputting the decoded data to a destination.