Revolutionary decoder chip

A new decryption chip for data transmissions can decrypt any encrypted signal and achieves record-breaking power efficiency. The chip could enable devices that work better, require less hardware, and cost less.

Imagine that you use an online banking application to deposit money into your account. As with any information sent over the Internet, communications could be corrupted by “noise” that introduces errors into the data.

To overcome this problem, senders’ systems encrypt the data before transmitting it, and then a receiver uses a decryption algorithm to correct the errors and recover the original message. In some cases, the data is received with reliability information that helps the decoder device figure out which parts of a transmission are likely errors.

The new chip, developed by the team led by Muriel Médard, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, uses a new statistical model to use this reliability information in a much easier and faster way than conventional techniques.

Its chip, called ORBGRAND, uses a universal decryption algorithm that the team previously developed that can crack any error-correcting code. Normally, the decoding hardware can only process a specific type of code. This new universal decoder chip has broken the record for energy efficient decoding, with performance 10 to 100 times that of any other known hardware.

The new decoder chip, which employs a universal decryption algorithm previously developed by MIT researchers, outperforms any previous comparable device in efficiency and energy savings. The image shows the concept in an artistic and symbolic way. (Illustration: Christine Daniloff, MIT. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

This breakthrough could make mobile devices with fewer chips possible, since they no longer need additional hardware for multiple codes. This would reduce the amount of material needed for its manufacture, lowering costs and improving sustainability. By making the decryption process consume less power, the chip could also improve device performance and extend battery life. It could be especially useful for demanding applications like augmented and virtual reality and 5G networks. (Fountain: NCYT by Amazings)