Deep learning assisted LDPC decoding for 5G IoT networks in fading environments

Abstract

With the deployment of 5G networks, the Internet of Things (IoT) has experienced a transformative boost, enabling higher data rates, reduced latency, and the connection of millions of devices across applications like smart cities, healthcare, and industrial automation. However, in real-world scenarios, the performance of Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes, the preferred channel coding scheme in 5G, is severely affected by noise and fading environments, particularly colored noise, which distorts signals over certain frequency bands. Colored noise introduces correlation in the interference, unlike white noise, thereby posing a challenge in decoding, especially in fading channels such as Rayleigh, Rician, and Nakagami-m. In this work, we propose a novel approach that combines the Iterative Offset Min-Sum (OMS) algorithm with a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to enhance LDPC decoding efficiency in 5G-enabled IoT networks. Our proposed OMS-CNN hybrid architecture addresses the limitations imposed by colored noise in fading channels by employing deep learning techniques for accurate noise estimation and mitigation. Furthermore, the OMS algorithm mitigates the overestimation of noise correction, refining the output in iterative decoding steps. Through comprehensive simulations, the OMS-CNN decoder demonstrates substantial improvements over traditional decoding approaches. Specifically, it achieves a performance enhancement of 2.7 dB at a bit error rate (BER) of across a range of fading channels. The study examines the decoder’s performance in environments characterized by Rayleigh, Rician, and Nakagami-m fading models, highlighting the robustness of the proposed solution under different channel conditions. Additionally, this research explores the influence of parameters such as the correlation coefficient of the noise, the scaling factor in the cost function, and the number of iterations between the CNN and OMS decoding steps.