Error detection and correction
Also known as: error detection · error correction · EDAC · error control · Error-correcting code
- 1Enables reliable data delivery over unreliable communication channels.
- 2Addresses data corruption caused by channel noise.
- 3Error detection identifies the presence of transmission errors.
- 4Error correction allows for the reconstruction of the original data.
In information theory and coding theory with applications in computer science and telecommunications, error detection and correction (EDAC) or error control are techniques that enable reliable delivery of digital data over unreliable communication channels.
Connections1
Technological implementation of information theory
These techniques utilize the principles of information theory to ensure reliable data transmission over unreliable or noisy communication channels.
Error detection and correction (EDAC), or error control, refers to a set of techniques used to ensure the reliable delivery of digital data over unreliable communication channels. These methods are critical in computer science and telecommunications where transmission errors are common.
A telegram from 1896 reporting astronomical observations of two comets. The random words represent numbers, taken from a predefined list, in order to prevent transcription errors during transmission.Wikimedia Commons: File:Astronomical_Telegram_John_Ritchie.jpgTo clean up transmission errors introduced by Earth's atmosphere (left), Goddard scientists applied Reed–Solomon error correction (right), which is commonly used in CDs and DVDs. Typical errors include missing pixels (white) and false signals (black). The white stripe indicates a brief period when transmission was int...Wikimedia Commons: File:Reed–Solomon_error_correction_Mona_Lisa_LroLrLasercomFig4.jpg Communication channels are frequently subject to channel noise, which can corrupt data during transit. Error detection allows a receiver to identify when data has been altered, while error correction provides the mechanisms to reconstruct the original data, ensuring integrity despite the presence of interference.