Multiple error-correction coding for optical matrix-vector multipliers

Optical matrix-vector multipliers are known to suffer from low computational accuracy which is the major drawback preventing them from becoming a practical force in real world applications. Error-correction coding is one technique proposed to overcome this problem of low level accuracy. In this thesis, the effects of the application of multiple error-correction codes to optical matrix-vector multipliers are studied. For this purpose, many different cases were simulated on a computer. Noting that an optical matrix-vector multiplier performs the product y = Ax, basically four cases were considered; signal independent and signal dependent noise in the matrix A, and signal independent and signal dependent noise in the vector x. Two different error-correcting codes were simulated; one being a binary, multiple error-correcting BCH code and other being a non-binary, multiple error-correcting Reed-Solomon code, which is basically an extension of the binary BCH code. The advantages and disadvantages of switching from binary BCH codes to non-binary Reed-Solomon codes were investigated. Based on the results obtained from the simulations, the conditions under which the use of error-correction coding is feasible in optical matrix-vector multipliers are discussed.