ICWMMN2006 Proceedings
A Design ofLDPC Codes with Large Girth Based on
the Sub-matrix Shifting
Jun Fan, Yang Xiao
Institute of Information Science, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, P. R. China
E-mail: fanjun562@126.com
Abstract
In this paper, we present an approach for constructing LOPC
codes with girth 8. First, we design 3 submatrices with
different shifting functions given by our schemes, then
combine them into a matrix according to our approach, finalIy,
expand the matrix into a desired parity-check matrix using
identity matrices and cyclic shift matrices of the identity
matrices. The simulation results in AWGN channels show
that these codes which can be obtained by the generator
matrix derived from this check matrix for encoding the
random information bits are as good as random LOPC codes.
Keywords: Communication, LOPC codes, 4-cycles, 6-cycles, tree,
check algorithm.
1 Introduction
Low-density parity-check (LOPe) codes were originally
introduced by Gallager [1,2]. They have again become
interesting because of the success of iterative decoding for
turbo codes [3-7]. LOPC codes have a remarkable
performance with iterative decoding that is very close to the
Shannon limit over additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN)
channels [3-7]. LOPC codes can be described by a bipartite
graph calIed Tanner graph [4]. Cycles in the Tanner graphs of
LOPC codes prevent the sum-product algorithm from
converging [8-16]. Extensive simulation results of MacKay
and Neal show that the message-passing algorithm also
performs well in graphs with cycles [6]. Most methods for
designing LOPC codes are based on random construction
techniques, the lack of structure implied by this randomness
presents serious disadvantages in terms of storing and
accessing a large parity-check matrix, encoding data, and
analyzing code performance (e.g. determining a code's
distance properties). One of the first attempts to design a
deterministic LOPC code for iterative decoding is due to Kou,
and it is based on projective and Euclidean geometries , the
girth of the associated Tanner graph is six [3]. This LOPC
codes can be decoded by belief-propagation algorithms [7].
Recent research results [8-16] about LOPC codes with large
girths show that there are many possible ways to construct the
LOPC codes with large girths. However, some of the
constructions [8-16] are not satisfied for application due to
the complicated constraints for the structures of parity check
matrices. To solve the problem, this paper provides a
different construction of LOPC codes with large girths, the
This work is supported by NSFC under grant: 60572093.
BER performance of the proposed codes are near to that of
random LOPC codes.
The paper is structured as folIow. In Section 2 we analyzing
the figures of 4-cycles and 6-cycles in check-matrix and
Section 3 introduces the check algorithm of 4-cycles and 6-
cycles. In Section 4 we present the design algorithm of check-
matrix. In Section 5 we describe the encoding method.
Section 6 estimates the performance of our codes for AWGN
channels via computer simulations. Finally, In Section 7 we
make some conclusions.
2 Definition of the cycle
Gaiiager defined an (n, i . k) LOPC code with a matrix H of
n columns that has j ones in each column, k ones in each
row, and zeros elsewhere. It follows from this definition that a
(n,j ,k) parity-check matrix has m=nj /k rows [1,2]. A
bipartite graph with m check nodes and n bit nodes can be
created with an edge between the bit and check nodes if there
is a corresponding I in the parity-check matrix H . Such a
graph is frequently called a Tanner graph [4]. A cycle in a
Tanner graph refers to a finite set of connected edges that
starts and ends at the same node, and satisfies the condition
that no node (except the initial and final node) appears more
than once [8-16]. The length of the cycle is simply the
number of edges it contains, referring Fig.l.
The length of the smallest cycle in the graph is called the girth
of the graph. The computation of girth at a given node u is
easy: a tree is "grown" step by step starting from the "root" u .
At step k, alI the nodes at distance k from u are included
into the tree. This procedure is repeated until at step k , a
node connected to at least two nodes included at step k - 1 is
included. This identifies the formation of the first cycle.
Integer 2k is then the girth at node u . Fig.1 shows a cycle in
tree.
Fig.2 and Fig.3 shows a 4-cycle and 6-cycle in tree,
respectively . We try to design a check matrix with no 4-
cycles and 6-cycles.
£~~
. . . ...
~'~:~.. ~:.~-~
• cyc l e
Figure .1: A cycle in tree

Figure .2: A 4-eycle in tree
6· o - ....-
0 - -
A:tJ.
ii~Vt'iJ'OM6()0006
Figure.3: A 6-eycle in tree
A. Figures of 4-cycles in check matrix
In a tree, check nodes represent rows in check matrix, and
variable nodes represent columns. In Fig.2, two "I" (we
marking them as ml and m2) in row a belong to column
band c respectively, two " I" (we marking them as m3 and
m4 ) in row d belong to column band c respectively, so
the figure of 4-cycle in check matrix as shown in FigA. If
there are no figures as shown in FigA in check matrix, there
are no 4-cycles in the Lope codes.
B. Figures of 6-cycles in check matrix
Fig.3 shows that ml and m2 in row a belong to column
band c respectively , m3 in column b belongs to row d ,
m4 in column C belongs to rowe, m5 in row d and m6
in row e belong to column f (ml , m2 , m3 , m4 , m5 , m6
represent six ones in 6-cycle), as shown in Fig.5.
We know that six ones in 6-cycle belong to 3 rows and 3
columns equally, so we can get the number of 6-cycles with
different figures by the following way:
3 sum row. In the sum row, calculating the number of "3", "6",
n =~ =6
01
I.,
lit]:
Figure.4 : 4-eycle in a
check matrix
"'
.. ..
.
Figure.5 : 6-eycle in a
check matrix
-=i I
1=-1
'I _0
Figure.6: Six kinds of 6-eycles with different figures
3 The check algorithm of the girth
A. The check algorithm of 4-cyc1es
If there is a check matrix H , row number is m , column
number is n. FigA shows that a 4-cycle must be in two rows.
So, we can calculate the number of 4-cycles in all possible
combinations of two rows in check matrix and then add them.
The check algorithm of 4-cycles is as follow:
(I) Taking out two rows in check matrix. The number of 2-
rows combinations w is:
mx(m-I)
2
w=c =----
m 2
(2) For the i'th combination of 2-rows, "I" in the first row
don't change, "I" in the second row tum to "2". Add up the
two rows and we can get a sum row. In the sum row, the
column which has "3" can construct 4-cycle with other same
kind of columns. Marking the number of "3" as num _ 3 .
Assume p(i) is the number of 4-cycles in the i 'th
combination of2-rows. We can find p(i) as follow:
p(i) = C;um _3
(3) The number of 4-cycles in check matrix is:
w
S = LP(i)
i=1
B. The check algorithm of 6-cycles
If there is a check matrix H , row number is m , column
number is n. Fig.5 shows that a 6-cycle must be in 3 rows.
So, we can calculate the number of 6-cycles in all possible
combinations of3 rows in check matrix and then add them.
The check algorithm of the 6-cycles is as follow:
(l) Taking out 3 rows in check matrix. The number of3-rows
combinations w is:
w
3 m(m-I)(m-2)
= C =---'---'----'--'-----...:...
m 6
(2) For the i'th combination of 3-rows, "I" in the first row
don't change, "I " in the second row tum to "2" , "I" in the
third row tum to "4". Adding up the three rows we can get a
"5" and "7" , marking them as num _ 3 , num _ 6 , num _ 5 and
num _ 7 . Assume p(i) is the number of 6-cycles in the i 'th
combination of3-rows. We can find p(i) as follow:
p(i) = num _ 3 x num _ 6 x num _ 5 + num _ 7 x
num - 6 x num - 5 + num - 3 x num - 7
x num - 5 + num - 3 x num - 6 x num - 7.
(3) The number of6-cycles in check matrix is:
w
S = Lp(i).
i=1
Figure.7: 4 different kinds of columns in 3 rows
4 Design algorithm of check matrix
If there is a check matrix H , row weight is v (v >3), column
weight is 3. We design three submatrices D , E , F , combine
them into matrix HI ' HI = [D E F ], transpose HI to If 2 ,
expand If 2 into desired parity-check matrix H using identity
matrices and cyclic shift matrices of the identity matrix
randomly.
A. Design algorithm of submatrix D
The design algorithm of D is as follow:
2
(1) Designing a matrix Do with dimension v x v .

Do (1,1) = Do (2,1) = Do (3,1) = ... = Do (v,l) = 1 , other

elements are "0".
1 0 o 0 o
1 0
L et H 2 = HI T . 0 f H 2 IS
,th e diimension . 3v 2 x v 3 .
o
o 0 0 0 vxv 2 D. Expansion of H 2
1 2 3 ;~ The expansion algorithm is as follow:
(2) Let~ =Do ,D2 =Do , D3 = Do , "', DV2_ I = Do ' where
(1) If there is an identity matrix I with dimension p x p .

Dok represents circularly shift Do for k steps. 100

T . . .. v3xv2
o 1 0
(3) Let D=[Do,Dl'D2,",Dv2_I] and Its dimension IS 1=
o
B. Design algorithm of submatrix E o 0 pxp
The design algorithm of E is as follow:
1 2 p-I h k
( 2) Let II = I ,1 2 = I ,"', I p-I = I ,were I represents
(1) Designing a matrix Eo with dimension V x v2 .
circularly shift I for k steps.
Eo (1,1) = Eo (2,2) = Eo(3,3) = ... = Eo(v, v) = 1, other elements
(3) Exchanging "1" in H 2 by elements in set
are "0".
1 0 ... 0 0 ... 0 {I, 11,12 , " ' , I p-I} randomly and exchanging "0" by null
0 1 matrices with the same dimension as I , and then we get the
Eo =
0 2 3
check matrix H ,dimension is 3pv x pv .
0 0 1 0 ... 0
Let v = 6, p = 4 , we can get a check matrix, row weight is 6,
2
vxv

T
(2) Let EI = [Eo, Eo, "', Eo] ,the number of Eo included in column weight is 3. Calculating the number of 4-cycles and
6-cycles in the check matrix by the check algorithm, we find
£1 is v.
there are no 4-cycles and 6-cycles, so the girth of LDPC code
v 2v (v-I)v k
(3) Let E 2 = E I ,E3 = EI ···Ev = EI ' where E I designed by this check matrix is 8.

represents circularly shift EI for k steps.

5 Encoding
(4) L et E = [EI, E 2, "', E v]T , d'imension
. .IS v 3 x v 2 .
All the correctors in check matrix are with addition and
multiplication modulo 2 in Galois field GF(2) , we can define
c. Design algorithm of submatrix F H as
The design algorithm of F is as follow:
2
(1)
(1) Designing a matrix Fo with dimension vxv
2
where VI is a low-density matrix with dimension
Fo( l ,l ) = Fo(2, v + 1) = Fo(3,2v + 1) = ... = Fo(V' v -v+ 1) = 1 2
K x (N - K), K = 3 pv ; V2 is a low-density invertible square
other elements are "0".
1 0 ... 0 0 0 matrix 0 V 2 -1 is the inversion matrix of V 2 .
00 .. · 0 1 0 .. · 0 According to the encoding theory of the linear coder 1-7]: we
o can get the generated matrix ofLDPC code by:
o ... 0 0 . .. 0 1 0 vxv 2
k
GT =[ E ] (2)
1 2 3 v-I 1U
(2) LetF} = Fo ' F2 = Fo ' F3 = Fo ,"', Fv-I = Fo ,where U -
2 1

Fok represents circularly shift Fo for k steps. where E k is an identity matrix with dimension K xK .

T We can encoding LDPC code as follow:

(3) Let r, = [Fo' F},... , F v- I ] .
C =m x G (3)
(4) Let F = [Fv' Fv"'" Fv]T , there are Fv 's of number v in F , where m = (m N - 1 , mN - 2 , " ", mN - K ) is a set of information
so the dimension of F is v x v
3 2
.
with K information bits. So we can get an LDPC code by m
and G.
We can get HI by the following way:
6 Performance evaluation
We compare by simulation the bit error rate (BER) of the
codes designed in this paper with the BER of randomly
constructed LDPC codes [17], which are free of 4-cycles in
additive white Gauss noise(A WGN) channels. The codes are
decoded with the sum-product algorithm [5,7].
The plot in Fig.8 shows the BER performance for the codes
designed in this paper with code length 1008,4104(solid line).
For comparison, we also show the BER performance of the
randomly constructed LDPC codes(no 4-cycles)(dashed line)
with almost the same code length [17]. All codes have the
same code rate 1/2.
".-------~
~'
... ~.
Figure.8: BER performance comparison between our codes and the r
andomly constructed LOp e codes at code rate 1/2
-
"r---~----,
c'
c'
.
m.'
'
.'
c'
Figure.9: BER performance of our codes at high code rate
From Fig.8, it can be seen that the BER performance of our
codes are very closed to MacKay's codes [17] in two different
kinds of code length, especially in code length 4k. MacKay's
randomly constructed LDPC codes have a good performance
of minimum distance and have no 4-cycles, so they have a
good BER performance. Our code's distance performance is
not good as that of MacKay's codes , but the girth of our
codes is 8, which is better than that of MacKay's codes. This
explains why our codes also have a good BER performance as
MacKay's codes.
From Fig.9 , it can be seen that our codes also have a good
BER performance at high code rate 0.67, 0.7, 0.75.
7 Conclusions
In this paper, we presented a method for constructing LDPC
codes based on the sub-matrix shifting method. The Tanner
graphs of these codes do not contain cycles of length 4 and
length 6. BER performance comparisons show our codes are
as good as MacKay's random codes [17]. Furthermore, these
codes are quasi-cyclic and hence their encoding can be
implemented with linear shift registers.
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