Performance of (quasi-)cyclic LDPC codes in noise bursts on the EPR4 channel

We consider in this paper the possibility of a cyclic or quasi-cyclic LDPC code as the complete error control system in a magnetic recording channel. Thus, we compare the performance of selected LDPC codes with two Reed-Solomon (RS) code schemes on an EPR4 channel, with particular emphasis on their performance in noise bursts (induced by thermal asperities). We find some very promising initial results in that the LDPC codes are very robust against large noise burst (128 bits long), and are superior to the RS schemes examined in the measurable error rate region. The extent to which they are superior depends on the particular LDPC scheme involved, and the results provide motivation for further investigation in this area