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The introduction of multiple-level cell (MLC) and triple-level cell (TLC) technologies reduced the reliability of flash memories significantly compared with single-level cell flash. With MLC and TLC flash cells, the error probability varies for the different states. Hence, asymmetric models are required to characterize the flash channel, e.g., the binary asymmetric channel (BAC). This contribution presents a combined channel and source coding approach improving the reliability of MLC and TLC flash memories. With flash memories data compression has to be performed on block level considering short-data blocks. We present a coding scheme suitable for blocks of 1 kB of data. The objective of the data compression algorithm is to reduce the amount of user data such that the redundancy of the error correction coding can be increased in order to improve the reliability of the data storage system. Moreover, data compression can be utilized to exploit the asymmetry of the channel to reduce the error probability. With redundant data, the proposed combined coding scheme results in a significant improvement of the program/erase cycling endurance and the data retention time of flash memories.
Generalized concatenated (GC) codes with soft-input decoding were recently proposed for error correction in flash memories. This work proposes a soft-input decoder for GC codes that is based on a low-complexity bit-flipping procedure. This bit-flipping decoder uses a fixed number of test patterns and an algebraic decoder for soft-input decoding. An acceptance criterion for the final candidate codeword is proposed. Combined with error and erasure decoding of the outer Reed-Solomon codes, this bit-flipping decoder can improve the decoding performance and reduce the decoding complexity compared to the previously proposed sequential decoding. The bit-flipping decoder achieves a decoding performance similar to a maximum likelihood decoder for the inner codes.
Embodiments are generally related to the field of channel and source coding of data to be sent over a channel, such as a communication link or a data memory. Some specific embodiments are related to a method of encoding data for transmission over a channel, a corresponding decoding method, a coding device for performing one or both of these methods and a computer program comprising instructions to cause said coding device to perform one or both of said methods.
Error correction coding (ECC) for optical communication and persistent storage systems require high rate codes that enable high data throughput and low residual errors. Recently, different concatenated coding schemes were proposed that are based on binary Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) codes that have low error correcting capabilities. Commonly, hardware implementations for BCH decoding are based on the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm (BMA). However, for single, double, and triple error correcting BCH codes, Peterson's algorithm can be more efficient than the BMA. The known hardware architectures of Peterson's algorithm require Galois field inversion. This inversion dominates the hardware complexity and limits the decoding speed. This work proposes an inversion-less version of Peterson's algorithm. Moreover, a decoding architecture is presented that is faster than decoders that employ inversion or the fully parallel BMA at a comparable circuit size.
The introduction of multi level cell (MLC) and triple level cell (TLC) technologies reduced the reliability of flash memories significantly compared with single level cell (SLC) flash. The reliability of the flash memory suffers from various errors causes. Program/erase cycles, read disturb, and cell to cell interference impact the threshold voltages. With pre-defined fixed read thresholds a voltage shift increases the bit error rate (BER). This work proposes a read threshold calibration method that aims on minimizing the BER by adapting the read voltages. The adaptation of the read thresholds is based on the number of errors observed in the codeword protecting a small amount of meta-data. Simulations based on flash measurements demonstrate that this method can significantly reduce the BER of TLC memories.
NAND flash memory is widely used for data storage due to low power consumption, high throughput, short random access latency, and high density. The storage density of the NAND flash memory devices increases from one generation to the next, albeit at the expense of storage reliability.
Our objective in this dissertation is to improve the reliability of the NAND flash memory with a low hard implementation cost. We investigate the error characteristic, i.e. the various noises of the NAND flash memory. Based on the error behavior at different life-aging stages, we develop offset calibration techniques that minimize the bit error rate (BER).
Furthermore, we introduce data compression to reduce the write amplification effect and support the error correction codes (ECC) unit. In the first scenario, the numerical results show that the data compression can reduce the wear-out by minimizing the amount of data that is written to the flash. In the ECC scenario, the compression gain is used to improve the ECC capability. Based on the first scenario, the write amplification effect can be halved for the considered target flash and data model. By combining the ECC and data compression, the NAND flash memory lifetime improves three fold compared with uncompressed data for the same data model.
In order to improve the data reliability of the NAND flash memory, we investigate different ECC schemes based on concatenated codes like product codes, half-product codes, and generalized concatenated codes (GCC). We propose a construction for high-rate GCC for hard-input decoding. ECC based on soft-input decoding can significantly improve the reliability of NAND flash memories. Therefore, we propose a low-complexity soft-input decoding algorithm for high-rate GCC.