Signal Codes

TL;DR

This paper introduces signal codes, a new class of lattice codes for continuous channels, utilizing convolutional encoding and efficient decoding to approach channel capacity with low error rates.

Contribution

It proposes a novel convolution-based lattice coding scheme and an efficient bidirectional decoding method for continuous-alphabet channels.

Findings

Achieves low error rates close to channel capacity (~1dB)

Uses convolution with fixed filter patterns for encoding

Employs an efficient bidirectional stack decoder

Abstract

Motivated by signal processing, we present a new class of channel codes, called signal codes, for continuous-alphabet channels. Signal codes are lattice codes whose encoding is done by convolving an integer information sequence with a fixed filter pattern. Decoding is based on the bidirectional sequential stack decoder, which can be implemented efficiently using the heap data structure. Error analysis and simulation results indicate that signal codes can achieve low error rate at approximately 1dB from channel capacity.