Multi-Code Multi-Rate Universal Maximum Likelihood Decoder using GRAND

We present the first fully-integrated universal Maximum Likelihood decoder in 40 nm CMOS using the Guessing Random Additive Noise Decoding (GRAND) algorithm for low-power applications. The 0.83 mm2multi-code multi-rate universal decoder can efficiently decode any code of length up to 128 bits with 1 µs latency at 68 MHz. Dynamic clock gating leveraging noise statistics reduces the average power dissipation to 3.75 mW at 1.1 V or 30.6 pJ/decoded bit with a throughput of 122.6 Mb/s. Universal decoding reduces hardware footprint, and the design allows seamless swapping between codebooks with no downtime, enabling use by multiple applications without switch-over.