Short convolutional codes with maximal free distance for rates 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 (Corresp.)

This paper gives a tabulation of binary convolutional codes with maximum free distance for rates <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1/2, 1/3</tex> , and <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1/4</tex> for all constraint lengths (measured in information digits) <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ν</tex> up to and including <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">nu = 14</tex> . These codes should be of practical interest in connection with Viterbi decoders.