To achieve the goal of high performance and flexibility, a parameterized multi-standard adaptive radix-4 Viterbi decoder based on the field-programmable gate array was presented. This decoder adopts constraint lengths ranging from 3 to 9, code rates of 1/2 or 1/3 and supports error-correcting decoding of arbitrary truncation lengths. The unsigned quantization, add-compare-select unit optimization and normalization judgment logic separation strategies were used to optimize the design of critical path, so that it can improve system throughput. Experiment results show that: the decoder can change the structures according to the parameters set by users and achieve dynamic switching in multiple communication standards; the throughput can reach up to 541 Mbps, apparently superior to the related works; the decoder achieves low bit error ratio in multiple standards such as GPRS, WiMax, LTE, CDMA and 3G and satisfies the decoding requirements of multiple communication standards. 