A fast method for blindly identifying Reed‐Solomon codes based on matrix analysis

Abstract

For the identification of Reed‐Solomon (RS) codes, the existing methods need to test the possible codeword length and the primitive polynomials exhaustively. Exhaustive search leads to high computational complexity. To overcome this limitation and fulfill the requirement in practice, a fast blind identification method is proposed. Different with most methods, our identification method is discussed in Galois Field of 2. First, by using Gaussian elimination, the bit matrix is transformed to the simplest upper triangular form. If the assumed codeword length is right, the matrix is of deficient rank, and the parameters of an RS code can be estimated according to the rank. The null space of the matrix, defined as the equivalent binary parity check matrix, can also be obtained from the simplification result. Then, a candidate set of primitive polynomials is constructed according to the estimated codeword length. By using the matrix null space, the correctness of a candidate primitive polynomial is tested through matrix analysis. Finally, by combining the estimated parameters, the generator polynomial of an RS code is identified. To decrease the bit errors in the matrix, soft‐decision data is used to select reliable bits. Experimental results show the effectiveness and robustness of our method.