Digital signal processor decoding of convolutionally encoded symbols

In one embodiment, a file of all the initial states (or their equivalents) and the nth surviving states associated with the initial states is stored along with the path metric. The initial states (or their equivalents) are an index to a previous file. A.new file or files are then generated. An appropriate criterion is utilized to select a final surviving state. The path can be traced back through a plurality of files and the "most likely" path determined. The identifying binary numbers of the final states of each file and the binary numbers of an original initial state determine the "most likely" sequence of convolutionally-encoded symbols received by the decoder. The convolutional decoding can be implemented with a digital signal processor and a dedicated peripheral unit. This apparatus can provide an efficient use of memory for the possible decoding paths.