Concatenated decoding with a reduced-search BCJR algorithm

Abstract

We apply two reduced-computation variants of the BCJR algorithm to the decoding of serial and parallel concatenated convolutional codes. One computes its recursions at only M states per trellis stage; one computes only at states with values above a threshold. The threshold scheme is much more efficient, and it greatly reduces the computation of the BCJR algorithm. By computing only when the channel demands it, the threshold scheme reduces the turbo decoder computation to one-four nodes per trellis stage after the second iteration.