A technique for low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding involves utilizing a fixed point implementation in order to reduce or eliminate reliance on floating point operations. The fixed point implementation can be used to calculate check node extrinsic L-value as part of an LDPC decoder in an LDPC system. The technique can include one or more of linear approximations, offset approximations, and node-limiting approximation. A system constructed according to the technique implements one or more of linear approximations, offset approximations, and node-limiting approximation.