New decoding techniques for modified product code used in critical applications

The shrinking of memory devices increased the probability of system failures due to the higher sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation. Critical memory systems employ fault-tolerant techniques like Error Correction Code (ECC) to mitigate these failures. This work explores error correction techniques and algorithms employing the Line Product Code (LPC), a product-like ECC. We propose to decode LPC codewords using a single error correction algorithm (AlgSE) followed by a double error correction algorithm (AlgDE). Both algorithms explore the LPC characteristics to attain greater decoding efficiency. AlgSE is implemented with an iterative technique associated with a correction heuristic, while AlgDE is an innovative proposal that allows increasing correction effectiveness through the inference of errors. AlgDE allows increasing the efficiency of the LPC decoder significantly when used together with AlgSE. It corrects 100% of the cases up to three bitflips as well as 98% and 92%, respectively, for four and five upsets in exhaustive tests. Besides, we present tradeoffs concerning the error correction potential versus the costs of implementing the correction algorithms. •The modified Line Product Code LPC is designed to mitigate failures in space application memories.•LPC is composed of an iterative simple error correction algorithm, followed by a DE correction algorithm.