Algebraic survivor memory management for Viterbi detectors

An algebraic formulation of the survivor memory management of Viterbi detectors is introduced. This reveals the fact that the problem of survivor memory implementation is analogous to the realization of look-ahead in parallelized linear feedback loops. Hence, next to finding new solutions, a wide range of solutions can be transferred and adapted from this well-known problem. They mainly present novel approaches for survivor memory realization. VLSI case studies of novel algorithms and architectures have shown that more than 50% savings are possible in hardware complexity as well as power consumption. The algebraic formulation can also lead to simplified software implementation