Code generator and decoder for communications systems operating using hybrid codes to allow for multiple efficient uses of the communications systems

Abstract

A method of encoding data for transmissions from a source to a destination over a communications channel is provided. The method operates on an ordered set of source symbols and may generate zero or more redundant symbols from the source symbols, wherein data is encoded in a first step according to a simple FEC code and in a second step, data is encoded according to a second FEC code, more complex than the first FEC code. The first FEC code and/or the second FEC code might comprise coding known in the art. These steps result in two groups of encoded data in such a way that a low-complexity receiver may make use of one of the groups of encoded data while higher complexity receivers may make use of both groups of encoded data.