System and method for decoding iterations and dynamic scaling

A decoder is configured to perform, for a unit of data received by the decoder, a plurality of decoding iterations in which a plurality of messages are passed between a plurality of check nodes and a plurality of variable nodes, each message indicating a degree of reliability in an observed outcome of data. The decoder determines, for each of the plurality of decoding iterations, whether a trigger condition is satisfied based on an internal state of the decoder and, when a trigger condition is determined to be satisfied during a respective decoding iteration, scales one or more respective messages of the plurality of messages during a subsequent decoding iteration. The unit of data is decoded based on the plurality of decoding iterations and at least one scaled message resulting from the trigger condition being satisfied during the respective decoding iteration.