On the performance of moderate-length non-binary LDPC codes for space communications

In this paper, an overview of recent achievements in the design and decoding of non-binary low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes is provided. Non-binary constructions based on ultra-sparse matrices are compared with binary low-density parity-check codes and turbo codes from satellite communication standards, to show that larger coding gains (outperforming the binary competitors by at least 0.3 dB) can be achieved on the AWGN channel, especially in the moderate/short block regimes. Thanks to this excellent performance, non-binary LDPC codes represent an appealing solution for space communications.