Fast Serial Iterative Decoding Algorithm for Zigzag Decodable Fountain Codes by Efficient Scheduling

Fountain codes are erasure correcting codes realizing reliable communication systems for the multicast on the Internet. The zigzag decodable fountain (ZDF) codes are one of generalization of the Raptor codes, i.e., applying shift operation to generate the output packets. The ZDF codes are decoded by a two-stage iterative decoding algorithm, which combines the packet-wise peeling algorithm and the bit-wise peeling algorithm. By the bit-wise peeling algorithm and shift operation, ZDF codes outperform Raptor codes under iterative decoding in terms of decoding erasure rates and overheads. However, the bit-wise peeling algorithm spends long decoding time. This paper proposes fast bit-wise decoding algorithms for the ZDF codes. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm drastically reduces the decoding time compared with the previous algorithm.