1461187988-38cd4604-c34a-43fc-a846-6b43f925ea84

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) decoder circuitry that employs an LDPC matrix to decode an LDPC coded signal thereby generating an estimate of an information bit encoded therein; and wherein:
the LDPC matrix is composed of a plurality of square sub-matrices of size q\xd7q, each sub-matrix having a corresponding row index, aI, and corresponding column index, bJ, such that q, and each value of aI and bJ is an integer; and
at least some of the plurality of square sub-matrices are CSI (Cyclic Shifted Identity) sub-matrices having undergone a cyclic shift of the function: aI\xd7bJ\xd7mod(q), where mod is the modulo operator.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
a bipartite graph corresponding to the LDPC matrix includes, if any, only cycles that are greater than 4.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
at least one of the plurality of square sub-matrices is an all zero-valued sub-matrix.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:
q is a non-prime number.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
at least one of the plurality of square sub-matrices is an identity sub-matrix or a CSI sub-matrix having undergone a cyclic shift of 0.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the LDPC matrix corresponds to a quasi-cyclic LDPC code.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a CSI circuitry that is operative to generate the plurality of square sub-matrices based on each respective and corresponding row index, aI, each respective and corresponding column index, bJ, and q; and
a sub-matrix replacement circuitry that is operative to replace at least one of the plurality of square sub-matrices with an all-zero valued sub-matrix.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the apparatus is a wireless, personal communication device.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the apparatus is a communication device; and
the communication device is a receiver or a transceiver.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the apparatus is a communication device; and
the communication device is implemented within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, and a fiber-optic communication system.
11. A method, comprising:
forming a first LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) matrix composed of a plurality of square sub-matrices of size q\xd7q, each sub-matrix having a corresponding row index, aI, and corresponding column index, bJ, such that q, and each value of aI and bJ is an integer;
when forming at least one of the plurality of square sub-matrices of the first LDPC matrix, employing a CSI (Cyclic Shifted Identity) circuitry to perform cyclic shifting on a plurality of identity sub-matrices thereby forming a plurality of CSI sub-matrices such that each CSI sub-matrix undergoes a cyclic shift of the function:
aI\xd7bJ\xd7mod(q), where mod is the modulo operator;
when a bipartite graph of the first LDPC matrix includes a cycle equal to 4, replacing at least one of the plurality of CSI sub-matrices with an all zero-valued sub-matrix thereby generating a second LDPC matrix; and
employing the first LDPC matrix or the second LDPC matrix to decode an LDPC coded signal thereby generating an estimate of an information bit encoded therein.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein:
at least one of the plurality of square sub-matrices is an identity sub-matrix or a CSI sub-matrix having undergone a cyclic shift of 0.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein:
at least one of the first LDPC matrix and the second LDPC matrix corresponds to a quasi-cyclic LDPC code.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the method is performed within a communication device; and
the communication device is implemented within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, and a fiber-optic communication system.
15. An apparatus, comprising:
a processing module; and
a memory, coupled to the processing module, that is operable to store operational instructions that enable the processing module to:
form a plurality of LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) matrices;
determine relative performance of the plurality of LDPC matrices to decode corresponding LDPC coded signals; and
select one of the plurality of LDPC matrices that provides a relatively better performance; and wherein:
a first of the LDPC matrices is composed of a first plurality of square sub-matrices of size q(1)\xd7q(1), each sub-matrix having a corresponding row index, aI(1), and corresponding column index, bJ(1), such that q(1), and each value of aI(1) and bI(1) is an integer;
and at least some of the first plurality of square sub-matrices are CSI (Cyclic Shifted Identity) sub-matrices having undergone a cyclic shift of the function: aI(1)\xd7bI(1)\xd7mod(q(1)), where mod is the modulo operator;
a second of the LDPC matrices is composed of a second plurality of square sub-matrices of size q(2)\xd7q(2), each sub-matrix having a corresponding row index, aI(2), and corresponding column index, bJ(2), such that q(2), and each value of aI(2) and bJ(2) is an integer; and
and at least some of the second plurality of square sub-matrices are CSI sub-matrices having undergone a cyclic shift of the function: aI(2) \xd7bJ(2)\xd7mod(q(2)).
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:
a bipartite graph corresponding to at least one of the LDPC matrices includes, if any, only cycles that are greater than 4.
17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:
at least one of the first plurality of square sub-matrices and the second plurality of square sub-matrices is an all zero-valued sub-matrix.
18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:
at least one of the first plurality of square sub-matrices and the second plurality of square sub-matrices is an identity sub-matrix or a CSI sub-matrix having undergone a cyclic shift of 0.
19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:
at least one of the first LDPC matrix and the second LDPC matrix corresponds to a quasi-cyclic LDPC code.
20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:
the apparatus is a communication device; and
the communication device is implemented within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, and a fiber-optic communication system.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A network system, comprising:
a plurality of network repeater ports, where a port from among the plurality of network repeater ports sends and receives network data; and
a serial and deserializer (SerDes) associated with the port, wherein the SerDes is operable to identify a configuration setting from incoming data received from an external network node and to automatically determine a mode of operation before passing the data to a second external network node.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the incoming data is part of data traffic received from the external network node, the data traffic comprising auto-negotiation information involving the external network node and the second external network node.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data traffic received from the external network node further comprises normal data traffic.
4. The system of claim 2, further comprising the external network node wherein the external network node comprises a pattern generator configured to create a bit pattern identifying configuration setting information transmitted as part of the data traffic.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the incoming data comprises a sequence of configuration bits identifiable based on a header format that is distinguishable from formatting used within an auto-negotiation protocol.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the SerDes is further operable to send an acknowledgment to the external network node upon receiving the configuration setting.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the SerDes transitions to line rate traffic at the mode of operation.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the SerDes further comprises a forward error correction component or controlling errors in data transmissions of the configuration setting.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the external network node comprises auto-negotiating circuitry.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the external network node is configured to determine a desired physical medium dependent configuration from the auto-negotiation circuitry and to send configuration information to the network repeater port.
11. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a port of a network repeater, incoming data from an external network node over a communication link;
identifying, by the network repeater, a configuration setting for the port of the network repeater from the incoming data received from the external network node;
implementing a new mode of operation for the port of the network repeater based on the identified configuration setting; and
forwarding, by the network repeater, the incoming data to a second external network node at the new mode of operation.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending an acknowledgment for receipt of the configuration setting to the external network node.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the new mode of operation comprises a change in data rate for the communication link.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the new mode of operation comprises a change in duplex settings for the communication link.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the incoming data is part of data traffic received from the external network node, the data traffic comprising auto-negotiation information involving the external network node and the second external network node.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the incoming data comprises a sequence of configuration bits identifiable based on a header format that is distinguishable from formatting used within an auto-negotiation protocol.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining, by the external network node, a desired physical medium dependent configuration from auto-negotiation circuitry and sending the configuration setting to the port.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein a message containing the configuration setting is formatted according to a message template that distinguishes the message from auto-negotiation information transmitted during an auto-negotiation routine.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions that when executed by a hardware processor of a network repeater causes the processor to:
Identify a configuration setting for a port of the network repeater from incoming data received from the external network node;
implement a new mode of operation for the port of the network repeater based on the identified configuration setting; and
forward, by the network repeater, the incoming data to a second external network node at the new mode of operation.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the incoming data is part of data traffic received from the external network node, the data traffic comprising auto-negotiation information involving the external network node and the second external network node.