1. For use in a wireless communications network, a receiver configured to decode encoded transmissions, the receiver comprising: a number of receive antennas; and a low density parity check decoder, the low density parity check decoder comprising: a plurality of memory units, a plurality of processors, and a programmable finite state machine configured to control a reconfigurable data path, wherein the programmable finite state machine is configured to execute a plurality of context-related instructions associated with the low density parity check decoder such that the low density parity check decoder is configured to perform low density parity check decoding operation.