An IS simulation technique for very low BER performance evaluation of LDPC codes

Abstract

We introduce an Importance Sampling (IS) method that successfully simulates the performance of Low density Parity Check (LDPC) Codes in an AWGN channel at very low bit error rates (BERs). By effectively finding and biasing bit node combinations that are the dominant sources of error events, called trapping sets, the developed technique provokes more frequent decoder failures. Consequently, fewer simulation runs and higher simulation gains are achieved. Regardless of the block size of an LDPC code, only a few dominant trapping set classes cause decoder failures at low BER regions. Therefore, the proposed technique allows the performance evaluation for any size LDPC code at very low BER regions with remarkable simulation gains. For BERs of 10-20, we observed simulation gains on the order of 1014. © 2006 IEEE.