Reed-Muller Codes for Joint Random and Stuck-At Error Correction

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Reed-Muller code-based method for joint correction of random errors and stuck-at defects in memory, with a recursive mask construction that simplifies encoding and decoding.

Contribution

It presents a novel recursive mask construction for stuck-at error correction, forming a non-linear code that is a subcode of Reed-Muller codes, enabling efficient joint error correction.

Findings

Masks are codewords in Reed-Muller RM(s-1, m) codes.

Constructed masks require no search during encoding.

Decoding is performed in a single attempt with minimal complexity.

Abstract

Block codes are considered for improving the reliability of messages stored in a computer memory with both stuck-at defects and random errors. It is assumed that the side information about the state of the defects is available to the encoder, but not to the decoder. A novel recursive construction of a set of masks is developed such that it can satisfy any $s$ stuck-at errors in a $2^m$ binary sequence, when $s \leq m$. We prove that the masks generated in this way are codewords in a Reed-Muller $RM(s-1, m)$ code. The constructed set contains no more than $2^s m^{s-1}$ masks. We provide the lower and the upper bound on the size of the stuck-at redundancy, a fixed subset of mask bits that uniquely represents each mask in the set. The stuck-at code constructed in this way is a non-linear code. It is also a subcode of an $RM(r,m)$ code, with $ r \geq s-1$, that can be used for additional random error correction. The encoding requires no mask search and is straightforward based on the description of the recursive construction. The decoding is done in a single attempt and requires almost no additional complexity or latency.