Partitioned linear block codes for computer memory with 'stuck-at' defects

Alisrruct-Linear block codes are studied for improving the reliability of message storage in computer memory with stuck-at defects and noise. The case when the side information about the state of the defects is available to the decoder or to the encoder is considered. In the former case, stuck-at cells act as erasures so that techniques for decoding linear block codes for erasures and errors can be directly applied. We concentrate on the complimentary problem of incorporating stuck-at information in the encoding of linear block codes. An algebraic model for stuck-at defects and additive errors is presented. The notion of a “partitioned ” linear block code is