Comma in a series of words?

I am confused if I should use a comma in the following series? Note that there is no "and" in the series, and all the three adjectives, i.e., powerful, high-throughput and low-complexity are modifying the word "decoder".

This requires a powerful high-throughput low-complexity soft-output decoder for LDPC codes.

or

This requires a powerful, high-throughput, low-complexity, soft-output decoder for LDPC codes.

Solution 1:

I would use every comma except the last one in your second example. 'Soft output decoder' can essentially be treated as a single term. You could write "I'm looking for a powerful soft output decoder", the same could be done with any of the three adjectives. Each of the three adjectival terms should be separated by a comma, but the list of adjectives doesn't need to be separated from the term they are modifying.

I think this would be best:

This requires a powerful, high-throughput, low-complexity soft-output decoder for LDPC codes.

If you want to treat soft-output as a 4th modifier for decoder then I think your second example is correct, but I feel like that would be non conventional.

Solution 2:

Both are correct, the second one with the commas 'reads' better.