An overview of error control codes for data storage

Early work on error control codes (ECC) began with technologists, mostly mathematicians, utilizing algorithms for simple applications. As circuit technology became more powerful and practical, work on ECC progressed to implement more sophisticated codes. The result is a variety of robust ECC algorithms and implementations. Every commercially available data storage device incorporates ECC designed specifically for its particular media, transport, electronics and operating characteristics. As a result, today's data storage devices tolerate a broad range of harsh conditions. In this paper, we will discuss the various codes which have been employed in data storage devices; including tape, disks and solid-state recorders. We will then describe DATATAPE's new approach to implementing Reed-Solomon (RS) algorithms into programmable devices to achieve flexibility in ECC capability. The algorithms involved will be a function of media and operational characteristics. The goal is to achieve high speed, low cost, configurable RS encoder/decoder devices, easily adapted to fit specific applications.