Maximum transition run codes for generalized partial response channels

A new twins constraint for maximum transition run (MTR) codes is introduced to eliminate quasi-catastrophic error propagation in sequence detectors for generalized partial response channels with spectral nulls both at dc and at the Nyquist frequency. Two variants of the twins constraint that depend on whether the generalized partial response detector trellis is unconstrained or j-constrained are studied. Deterministic finite-state transition diagrams that present the twins constraint are specified, and the capacity of the new class of MTR constraints is computed. The connection between (G,I) constraints and MTR(j) constraints is clarified. Code design methodologies that are based on look-ahead coding in combination with violation detection/substitution as well as on state splitting are used to obtain several specific constructions of high-rate MTR codes.