Combining CRC and FEC on a variable number of NCPs

A communication device comprising:

• a communication interface;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• encode first one or more next codeword pointers (NCPs) using a LDPC code to generate first one or more coded NCPs;
• encode the first one or more NCPs using a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code to generate first NCP CRC bits;
• encode the first NCP CRC bits using the LDPC code to generate first coded NCP CRC bits;
• transmit first one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols to another communication device via the communication interface, wherein the first one or more OFDM symbols include the first one or more coded NCPs and the first coded NCP CRC bits to indicate beginnings of first one or more codewords within at least one of the first one or more OFDM symbols or second additional OFDM symbols;
• encode second one or more NCPs using the LDPC code to generate second one or more coded NCPs;
• encode the second one or more NCPs using the CRC code to generate second NCP CRC bits;
• encode the second NCP CRC bits using the LDPC to generate second coded NCP CRC bits;
• and
• transmit third one or more OFDM symbols to the other communication device via the communication interface, wherein the third one or more OFDM symbols include the second one or more coded NCPs and the second coded NCP CRC bits to indicate beginnings of second one or more codewords within at least one of the third one or more OFDM symbols or fourth additional OFDM symbols.

A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising:

• encoding one or more next codeword pointers (NCPs) using a forward error correction (FEC) code to generate one or more coded NCPs;
• encoding the one or more NCPs using a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code to generate NCP CRC bits;
• encoding the NCP CRC bits using the FEC to generate coded NCP CRC bits;
• and
• transmitting one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols to another communication device via a communication interface of the communication device, wherein the one or more OFDM symbols include the one or more coded NCPs and the coded NCP CRC bits to indicate beginnings of one or more codewords within at least one of the one or more OFDM symbols or one or more additional OFDM symbols.