2008 ISECS International Colloquium on Computing, Communication, Control, and Management

A Construction of Linearly Encodable QC-LDPC Codes by Grouping Cyclic Shift

and Block Elimination
Chen Zhixiong, Yuan Jinsha
School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
North China Electric Power University，Baoding, Hebei, 071003, China
chenzx1983@sohu.com yuanjinsha@126.com

Abstract grouping cyclic shift are analyzed. In Section Ⅳ , we

present a method to construct linearly encodable QC-
In this paper, the girth and rank property based on LDPC codes. The performance of new QC- LDPC codes
grouping cyclic shift of a parity-check matrix is proved is investigated by simulation in SectionⅤand concluding
firstly. Then a Quasi-Cyclic square matrix with full rank remarks are given in Section Ⅵ.
is constructed by grouping cyclic shift and block
elimination. By proper matrix extension, we construct a 2. Quasi-Cyclic LDPC Codes
parity-check matrix based on the square matrix whose
column weight is close or equal to three, which is suitable QC-LDPC codes are characterized by the parity-check
for efficient encoding procedure in [3][4][11] with a near matrix which consists of small square blocks which are
linear complexity. Simulation results show a better circulant permutation matrices (CP- matrices, for short) or
performance compared to array based LDPC codes and the zero matrices. Defined the L × L permutation matrix
LDPC codes in 802.11n standard. P(1)by:
⎡0 0 0 " 1⎤
1. Introduction ⎢1 0 0 " 0⎥⎥
⎢ (1)
Quasi-Cyclic LDPC (QC-LDPC) codes[1], kinds of P = ⎢0 1 0 " 0⎥
⎢ ⎥
structured LDPC codes, are easy to implement because of ⎢# # # % #⎥
their block and cyclic interconnections while their ⎢⎣0 0 0 1 0⎥⎦
performance is almost the same as general LDPC Note that P(i) is the CP-matrix which shifts the
codes[2]. As generating matrices are also Quasi- identity matrix I to the left by i times for any integer i, 0
Cyclic[3], the required memory to store QC-LDPC codes ≤ i < L. For simple notation, we denote the L×L zero
for both encoders and decoders, can be reduced by a matrix by P(∞) and the set {∞, 0, 1,… , L − 1} by AL. Let
factor 1/L, when L×L circulant permutation matrices are H be the mL × nL matrix given by
⎡ P (a1,1 ) P (a1, 2 ) " P (a1, n ) ⎤
employed.
Moreover, QC-LDPC codes have encoding advantages ⎢ P(a ) P(a ) " P(a )⎥
over pseudo-random LDPC codes as they can be encoded (2)
H =⎢
2,1 2, 2 2, n ⎥

using simple shift-registers, with probable complexity ⎢ # # % # ⎥

⎢ ⎥
linearly proportional to their code length [3][4][10].The P (a
⎣ m ,1 ) P (a m, 2 ) " P (a m , n )⎦
LDPC parity-check matrices in standards such as IEEE
802.11n[5] and IEEE 802.16e[6] are based on QC- LDPC where aij ∈ AL. Then the codes with parity-check matrix
codes whose parity-check matrices have dual diagonal H are referred to QC-LDPC codes. Array based LDPC
structure with a single weight-3 column. The dual codes [9] [10] are special cases. For efficient encoding,
diagonal structure enables an efficient encoding of LDPC the following parity-check matrix [10] is given:
codes but may cause performance degradation due to their ⎡P(0) P(0) P(0) " P(0) " P(0) ⎤
column weight restriction [7][8]. ⎢P(∞) P(0) P(1) " P(m−2) " P(n−2) ⎥
In this paper we propose a novel method to construct ⎢ ⎥
H(L,m,n) =⎢P(∞) P(∞) P(0) " P(2(m−3)) " P(2(n−3)) ⎥(3)
parity-check matrices for QC- LDPC codes with full rank ⎢ ⎥
and attractive column weight distribution. By proper ⎢ # # # " " # ⎥
matrix extension, we get a regular QC- LDPC codes with ⎢⎣P(∞) P(∞) " P(∞) P(0) " P((m−1)(n−m))⎥⎦
weight-3 columns which can be encoded efficiently. The
outline of the paper is as follows. Obviously, it has a full rank since it is an upper
triangular matrix with nonzero diagonal elements.
In SectionⅡ, basic concepts of QC- LDPC codes are
Therefore, the Array-Based LDPC code defined by the
reviewed. In Section Ⅲ, cycle and rank properties based

978-0-7695-3290-5/08 $25.00 © 2008 IEEE 304

DOI 10.1109/CCCM.2008.174
check matrix above is an irregular QC-LDPC code with a
code rate of (1-m/n).
For simplicity, we introduce some definitions and
notation. The base matrix of H, B(H) for short, is obtained
from replacing zero matrices and CP-matrices in H by ‘0’
and ‘1’ respectively. Define the CP-matrices in H
corresponding to the ith row(or column) elements of B(H)
to be the ith row(or column) grouping of H. The exponent
matrix of H, E(H), given by replacing the sub-matrices
P(ai,j) in H by exponent ai,j∈ AL , is defined as follow:
⎡ a1,1 a1, 2 " a1,n ⎤
⎢a a 2, 2 " a 2,n ⎥⎥
E(H ) = ⎢
2 ,1
(4)
⎢ # # % # ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎣a m ,1 a m, 2 " a m,n ⎦
Note that H in (2) can be obtained by extending the m
× n exponent matrix E(H) into an mL × nL matrix. A
block-cycle of length 2l (a 2l-block-cycle, for short)
denotes a cycle of length 2l in the Tanner graph of B(H),
mapped to an ordered sequence of 2l CP-matrices P(a1) ,
P(a2) ,… , P(a2l) in H. Then (a1 , a 2 , " , a 2l ) is called an
exponent chain.
The following proposition was first presented by
Fossorier in [1] providing a necessary and sufficient
condition for cycles of girth 2lr.
Proposition 1: Let (a1 , a 2 , " , a 2l ) be the exponent
chain corresponding to a 2l-block-cycle. Let r be the least
positive integer such that
2l
r ⋅ ∑ (−1) i ⋅ ai ≡ 0 mod L (5)
i =1
then the block-cycle leads to L cycles of length 2lr in the
Tanner graph.
3. Some Property Based on GCS
For simple notation, S bits row grouping cyclic shift
(GCS, for short) is defined as the upwards cyclic shift of
the ith row grouping in H for S bits, and S bits column
GSC as the rightward cyclic shift of jth column grouping
in H for S bits. By S bits row GCS, P(ai,j) ( j=1 ,…,n+1)
in the ith row grouping of H are transformed into P(ai,j -
S)(j=1 ,…,n+1) and by S bits column GCS, P(ai,j) (i=1
,…,m+1) in the jth column grouping are transformed into
P(ai,j -S)( i=1 ,…,m+1).Without special statement, the
exponent subtraction of a CP-matrix in this paper like
P(ai,j -S) is based on module L.
Proposition 2: The S bits row(or column) GCS doesn’t
change the girth property of QC-LDPC codes.
Proof: Note that any couple of CP-matrices in H
mapping to two neighboring exponents in an exponent
chain locates in either the same row (or column) grouping
of H. In other words, a block-cycle connects even number
(supposed as 2k, k≥0) of CP-matrices with each
neighboring exponent CP-matrices in the ith row (or
column) grouping of H.
Without loss of generality, we firstly assume
(a1 , a 2 , " , a 2l ) as an exponent chain corresponding to a
2l-block-cycle that leads to L cycles of length 2lr. By S
bits row (or column) GCS of the ith row(or column)
grouping, a new exponent chain (a1′ , a 2′ , " a ′2l )
conversed from the exponent chain assumed also satisfies
the necessary and sufficient condition:
2l 2l 2k
r ⋅ ∑(−1) i ⋅ ai′ = r ⋅ ∑(−1) i ⋅ ai + ∑(−1) j ⋅ S ≡ 0 mod L (6)
i =1 i =1 j =1
Note that row GCS doesn’t change the B(H) of QC-
LDPC codes. Similarly, by S bits row (or column) GCS,
any exponent chain that dissatisfy the necessary and
sufficient condition (5) can’t dissatisfy the condition (5)
either. That means that row (or column) GCS doesn’t
change the number of cycles for any lengths, thus keeps
the girth property of QC-LDPC codes.
More general, we get the lemma as follows:
Lemma: The row (or column) permutation of the
parity-check matrix for LDPC codes doesn’t change the
girth property of LDPC codes.
Proof: As far as the parity-check matrix of LDPC
codes is constructed, either regular or irregular, the fore-
and-aft neighboring nodes of any node in any cycle of the
Tanner graph is determined. The row (or column)
permutation inevitably changes the cycle figure but can’t
change the fore-and-aft neighborhood of nodes and the
length of any cycle. So the girth property of LDPC codes
is not altered by row (or column) permutation.
According to Proposition 2, four CP-matrices of H
corresponding to a 4-block-cycle that is presented in (7)
⎛ P (ai , j ) P ( ai ,k ) ⎞
⎜ ⎟ (7)
⎜ P (a ) P ( at , k ) ⎟⎠
⎝ t, j
It can be transformed into a format in (8) by row GCS
and column GCS without changing the girth property.
⎛ P (0) P (0) ⎞
⎜ ⎟ (8)
⎜ P (0) P (at ,k − a i ,k ` − ( a t , j − a i , j )) ⎟⎠
⎝
Obviously, if and only if:
a t ,k − a i ,k ` − (a t , j − ai , j ) = 0 mod L，i.e.
a t ,k − a i ,k ` = (at , j − a i , j ) mod L， (9)
the 4-block-cycle leads to cycles of length 4. That is the
fundament of girth property for array based LDPC code
[9] [10].
Proposition 3: Based on binary operations and row
GCS, a matrix that corresponds to a 4-block-cycle
presented in (7) has the same rank as the matrix below:

305
 ⎛ P(0) P(ai,k − ai, j ) ⎞ the first three column groupings of H1 are eliminated
⎜ ⎟ (10) respectively into a diagonal form shown in (14), utilizing
⎜ P(∞) P(a ) + P(a + a − a )⎟ the method based on row GCS and block elimination in
⎝ t , k i ,k t , j i , j ⎠
Proof: Note that the row (or column) permutation Proposition 3 which keeps the rank of matrix.
doesn’t change the rank of a matrix. By row GCS, the ⎡P(0) O O O P(0) ⎤
matrix in (7) can be transformed into ⎢O P(0) O P(0) P(a) ⎥
⎛ P(ai, j − (ai, j − at , j )) P(ai,k − (ai , j − at , j ))⎞ ⎢ ⎥
⎜ ⎟ ⎢O O P(0) P(b) P(2e) +P(a+b) ⎥
⎜ P ( a ) P ( a ) ⎟ ⎢ ⎥
⎝ t , j t , k ⎠ (11) ⎢O O O P(2d) +P(2b)+P(b+c) P(a+2b) +P(2e+c) +P(a+b+c) ⎥
Note that if a=b (mod L), then ⎢⎣ O O O P(3d) P(4e)+P(4a) ⎦ ⎥
P ( a ) + P ( b) = P (∞) (14)
The first row grouping are added to the second row If we set the following two conditions:
grouping of (11) based on module two addition, which 2d = b + c (15)
keeps the rank of (7), and we get:
a + 2b = 2e + c (16)
⎛ P(at , j ) P(ai ,k − (ai, j − at , j )) ⎞ then the nonzero matrices of the fourth row grouping are
⎜ ⎟ (12)
⎜ P(∞) P(a ) + P(a + a − a ) ⎟ eliminated as a result of P(2b) and P(a + b + c) respectively,
⎝ t ,k i ,k t, j i, j ⎠
based on module two operations. The fourth column
Finally, by row GCS of the first row grouping in order grouping is eliminated in succession and we get the CP-
to transform P ( a t , j ) into an identity matrix, we get the matrix in the fifth row grouping and the fifth column
matrix (10) with the same rank of (7).The Proposition 3 grouping as follows:
provides a fast method for Gaussian elimination to P ( 4e ) + P ( 4 a ) + P ( a + b + c + 3d - 2b ) (17)
transform the full rank parity-check matrix of QC-LDPC Similarly, if we set
codes into an upper trigonal form that enables a linear 4e = a + b + c + 3d - 2b , (18)
encoding. then the rank of H1 is full. Solve the equation group
comprised of (15) (16) and (18), we get a group of
4. Construction of Systematic QC-LDPC positive integer solutions as follows:
Codes a = 2, b = 12, c = 0, d = 6, e = 13 , (19)
and the construction of a full rank matrix H1 is finished.
In this section, a method to construct systematic QC- ⎡P(0) O O O P(0) ⎤
LDPC codes that enables a linear encoding is proposed. ⎢P(2) P(0)
The parity-check matrix H of QC-LDPC codes is ⎢ O P(0) O ⎥⎥
presented by a form of [H1 H2], where H1 is a full rank H1 = ⎢ O P(12) P(0) O P(26)⎥ (20)
square matrix (mL×mL) without any cycle of length four. ⎢ ⎥
⎢ O P(24) P(0) P(12) O ⎥
⎢⎣ P(8) O O P(18) P(52)⎥⎦
4.1. Construction of square matrix with full rank
The matrix H1 (5L × 5 L ) can be extended into a larger
Based on the dual diagonal structure, we firstly matrix with full rank, taking H 1′ (7 L × 7 L ) for example,
construct a Quasi-Cyclic square matrix H1 with five row by the way as follows：
groupings and five column groupings by locating the CP-
matrices in given locations of H1. According to
Proposition 2, row GCS keeps the girth of QC-LDPC
codes. Without lose of generality, H1 is constructed as
follows:
⎡ P(0) O O O P(0) ⎤
⎢ P(a) P(0) O P(0) O ⎥⎥
⎢ (13)
H1 = ⎢ O P(b) P(0) O P(2e)⎥ (21)
⎢ ⎥ The values of x and y should be choose carefully to
⎢ O P(2b) P(c) P(2d ) O ⎥
⎢⎣P(4a) make the matrix H 1′ contain no cycle of length four and
O O P(3d ) P(4e)⎥⎦
the least cycles of length six. It can be check that when
Where a ≠ b ≠ c ≠ d ≠ e that prevent any cycle of x=5 and y=7, the numbers of length-four cycle and length-
length four of H1, and “O” denotes the zero matrix. Then six cycle are zero and L respectively. Note that the

306
condition (15) inevitably causes L length-6 cycles in a 6-
block cycle shown in bold of (21).
Therefore, by a proper structure of B(H) and special
exponents setting, a Quasi-Cyclic square matrix of full
rank that contains no length-four cycle can be
constructed.
Furthermore, regular Quasi-Cyclic square matrix is
obtained, if we firstly permute the column groupings of
H1 either in (20) or (21) and extend it into a form as
follow:

4.2. Construction of matrix without small length

cycles

Secondly, we construct a matrix H2 to form a whole

parity-check matrix H for QC-LDPC codes that contains
no length-four cycle but a grouping of L length-6 cycles
which are brought by H1.The steps to construct
(n − m) column groupings are shown as follow:
Step 1）Initialization: Set E(H)=[E(H1) E(Q)], where
Q denotes a mL × (n − m )L zero matrix. Replace all the
exponents “∞”which denote zero CP-matrices in E(H) by
a large number such as 99999. Initialize the variable j as
(m+1);
Step 2) Replace three exponents “99999” in the jth
column of E(H) by random three positive integers that are
less than L;
Step 3) Among the front j column groupings of H, find
all 4-block-cycle and 6-block-cycle that connect any
block corresponding to the exponent in the jth column
grouping of E(H). Whether the 4-block-cycle and 6-
block-cycle form any length-4 cycle or any length-6 cycle
is checked. If contains, replace the exponent in the jth
column grouping of E(H) that causes length-4 cycle or
any length-6 cycle by other positive integer less than L
and return to step 3). If not, go to step 4);
Step 4) Set j=j+1. If j<n+1, return to step 2). If not,
save the matrix E(H). Thus the matrix extended by the
last (n-m) column groupings of E(H) is H2.
4.3. Efficient encoding of the QC-LDPC codes
proposed
The parity-check matrices of QC-LDPC codes are get
by extending the exponents of E(H) into CP-matrices.
Note that the girth of the QC-LDPC codes is six. In fact if
we replace the CP-matrix in the second row grouping and
the fourth column grouping by a zero matrix of the same
size, then the girth is eight. Because the column weights
are all three except a column grouping are two, the QC-
LDPC codes proposed is irregular.
Note that there is a square matrix with full rank, the
QC-LDPC codes can be encoded by the method
introduced in the third part of paper [3] with a linear
encoding complexity proportional to the number of parity
bits of the code for serial encoding, and to the length of
the code for high-speed parallel encoding.
(22)
Where the values of x, y and z should be chosen
carefully to avoid any length-4 cycle and unnecessary
length-6 cycle. Secondly, we construct a matrix H2 with
weight-3column by the method introduced in part B and
divide it into a form of H2=[AT CT]T. Then regular QC-
LDPC codes with weight-3 column and girth four are
constructed, which are suitable for the efficient encoding
procedure in [4][11] with a near linear complexity.
5. Simulation Results
The performance of QC-LDPC codes obtained by our
constructing procedure is analyzed over an AWGN
channel using computer simulations. The modulation is
fixed to BPSK and the maximum number of iteration is
set to 50.
Denote QC-LDPC codes to be (L, m, n), where L is the
size of CP-matrix and m (or n) is the number of row (or
column) grouping in parity-check matrix of QC-LDPC
codes shown in (2). Then the code lengths are L×n and
the code rates are not less than (1-m/n). In figure 1, the
performance of QC-LDPC codes that we propose is
compared to that of array based LDPC codes[9] and QC-
LDPC codes of standard 802.11n[5] with the same code
rate (1/2, 2/3 and 3/4) and similar code length. It can be
observed that QC-LDPC codes that we propose
outperform the other two kinds of QC-LDPC codes.
When code rates are 1/2 and 2/3, the proposed QC-LDPC
codes with similar code length of 1944 get a coding gain
of 0.18dB at least compared to the LDPC codes in
standard 802.11n of the same BER 10-5

307

Figure 1 BER of proposed QC-LDPC codes compared with
array based LDPC codes and QC-LDPC codes in standard
802.11n
6. Conclusions
In this paper, a novel construction of QC-LDPC codes
for linear encoding are proposed. We have proved that
row or column GCS doesn’t change the girth property of
QC-LDPC codes. A fast Gauss elimination based on row
GCS and block elimination is demonstrated, which keeps
the rank of a matrix. Then a quasi-cyclic square matrix
with full rank for systematic encoding is constructed
utilizing row GCS and the fast block elimination. By
proper matrix extension and exponent locating algorithm,
we construct linearly encodable QC-LDPC codes whose
column weight is near three, which adapt to the encoding
procedure in [3][4][11]. Compared to array based LDPC
codes and LDPC codes in standard 802.11n, the proposed
QC-LDPC codes perform a better performance.
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