A hybrid threshold soft decision decoding scheme which combines a Chas
e 2 algorithm with a bit-by-bit decision decoding algorithm is present
ed. For higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), its behaviour is not inf
erior to that of the corresponding bit-by-bit decoding algorithm. This
scheme can overcome the exponential increase of the test patterns use
d in the Chase 2 algorithm, as d (the minimum Hamming distance of code
) increases.