An iterative
message passing decoder, e.g., an LDPC decoder, operating in conjunction with a soft input-soft output
signal processing unit, e.g., an ISI
detector, has an
error floor performance region influenced by the decoder's sub-optimal
message passing nature.
Error floor reduction is achieved by a simple message re-initialization mechanism. Decoder edge states, e.g., constraint to variable node messages in decoder memory, are reinitialized, e.g., for an iteration, during the decoding after soft values provided by
signal processing unit have improved. During the message re-initialization and for some subsequent amount of iterative decoder
processing, extrinsic information fed back from the decoder to the
signal processing unit and / or soft values delivered to the decoder from the
signal processing unit, in an outer communications loop, is temporarily frozen, e.g., using a switch and a buffer. Then, the outer communications loop is restored as the decoding continues, achieving improved decoding performance.