Single-cycle, soft decision, compare-select operation using dual-add processor

摘要

In accordance with the invention, a method of generating a soft symbol confidence level for use in decoding a received digital signal includes calculating a difference between two potential next state accumulated costs to provide a soft symbol confidence level. Simultaneously with calculating the difference between two potential next state accumulated costs, performing a compare-select operation to identify one of the two potential next state accumulated costs as an extremum of the two present state accumulated costs.