Reconfigurable architecture and automated design flow for rapid FPGA-based LDPC code emulation

Abstract

Multitude of design freedoms of LDPC codes and practical decoders require fast simulations. FPGA emulation is attractive but inaccessible due to its design complexity. We propose a library and script based approach to automate the construction of FPGA emulations. Code parameters and design parameters are programmed either during run time or by script in design time. We demonstrate the architecture and design flow using the LDPC codes for the latest wireless communication standards: each emulation model was auto-constructed within one minute and the peak emulation throughput reached 3.8 Gb/s on a BEE3 platform.