Data Link Layer

Error Detection and Correction

Unit 2
 Error Detection and Correction
Types of Error

Data can be corrupted during transmission. For reliable

communication, errors must be detected and corrected.
Types of Error
• Single-bit error: In a single-bit error, only one bit in the data unit has
changed.
Error Detection and Correction
Burst Error

A burst error means that 2 or more bits in the data unit have changed.
Error Detection and Correction
Detection

Error detection uses the concept of redundancy, which means adding extra
bits for detecting errors at the destination.

• Redundancy

• Parity Check

• Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)

• Checksum
Error Detection and Correction
Redundancy
Error Detection and Correction
Detection methods
Error Detection and Correction
Even-parity concept
Error Detection and Correction
Even-parity concept

In parity check, a parity bit is added to every data

unit so that the total number of 1’s is even
(or odd for odd-parity).

Example 1

Suppose the sender wants to send the word world. In ASCII the five
characters are coded as
1110111 1101111 1110010 1101100 1100100
The following shows the actual bits sent
11101110 11011110 11100100 11011000 11001001
Error Detection and Correction
Even-parity concept
Now suppose the word world in Example 1 is received by the
Example 2 receiver without being corrupted in transmission.
11101110 11011110 11100100 11011000 11001001
The receiver counts the 1s in each character and comes up with
even numbers (6, 6, 4, 4, 4). The data are accepted.

Now suppose the word world in Example 1 is corrupted during

transmission.
Example 3
11111110 11011110 11101100 11011000 11001001
The receiver counts the 1s in each character and comes up with
even and odd numbers (7, 6, 5, 4, 4). The receiver knows that the
data are corrupted, discards them, and asks for retransmission.

NOTE: Simple parity check can detect all single-bit errors. It can detect burst errors only if the total number of errors in each data unit is odd.
Error Detection and Correction
Two-dimensional parity
Error Detection and Correction
Two-dimensional parity

Suppose the following block is sent:

10101001 00111001 11011101 11100111 10101010

Example 4
However, it is hit by a burst noise of length 8, and some bits are
corrupted.
10100011 10001001 11011101 11100111 10101010

When the receiver checks the parity bits, some of the bits do not
follow the even-parity rule and the whole block is discarded.
10100011 10001001 11011101 11100111 10101010
NOTE: In two-dimensional parity check, a block of bits is divided into rows and a redundant row of bits is added to the whole block.
Error Detection and Correction
CRC generator and checker
Error Detection and Correction
Binary division in a CRC generator
Error Detection and Correction
Binary division in a CRC generator
Error Detection and Correction
A Polynomial
Error Detection and Correction
A Polynomial

Table: Standard polynomials

Name Polynomial Application

CRC-8 x 8 + x2 + x + 1 ATM header

CRC-10 x10 + x9 + x5 + x4 + x 2 + 1 ATM AAL
ITU-16 x16 + x12 + x5 + 1 HDLC
x32 + x26 + x23 + x22 + x16 + x12 + x11 + x10
ITU-32 LANs
+ x 8 + x7 + x5 + x4 + x2 + x + 1
 Error Detection and Correction
A Polynomial

It is obvious that we cannot choose x (binary 10) or x2 + x (binary

Example 5 110) as the polynomial because both are divisible by x. However,
we can choose x + 1 (binary 11) because it is not divisible by x, but
is divisible by x + 1. We can also choose x2 + 1 (binary 101) because
it is divisible by x + 1 (binary division).

The CRC-12
x12 + x11 + x3 + x + 1
Example 6
which has a degree of 12, will detect all burst errors affecting an
odd number of bits, will detect all burst errors with a length less
than or equal to 12, and will detect, 99.97 percent of the time,
burst errors with a length of 12 or more.
Error Detection and Correction
Checksum
Error Detection and Correction
Checksum

The sender follows these steps: The receiver follows these steps:

• The unit is divided into k sections, • The unit is divided into k sections,
each of n bits. each of n bits.

• All sections are added using one’s • All sections are added using one’s
complement to get the sum. complement to get the sum.

• The sum is complemented and • The sum is complemented.

becomes the checksum.
• If the result is zero, the data are
• The checksum is sent with the accepted: otherwise, rejected.
data.
 Error Detection and Correction
Checksum

Suppose the following block of 16 bits is to be sent using a

checksum of 8 bits.
10101001 00111001
The numbers are added using one’s complement
Example 7 10101001
00111001
------------
Sum 11100010
Checksum 00011101
The pattern sent is 10101001 00111001 00011101
Error Detection and Correction
Checksum

Now suppose the receiver receives the pattern sent in Example 7

and there is no error.
Example 8 10101001 00111001 00011101
When the receiver adds the three sections, it will get all 1s, which,
after complementing, is all 0s and shows that there is no error.
10101001
00111001
00011101
Sum 11111111
Complement 00000000 means that the pattern is OK.
 Error Detection and Correction
Checksum

Now suppose there is a burst error of length 5 that affects 4 bits.

10101111 11111001 00011101
When the receiver adds the three sections, it gets
Example 9
10101111
11111001
00011101
Partial Sum 1 11000101
Carry 1
Sum 11000110
Complement 00111001 the pattern is corrupted.
Error Detection and Correction
Correction

• Retransmission Table: Data and redundancy bits

Number of Number of Total

• Forward Error Correction data bits redundancy bits bits
m r m+r
• Burst Error Correction 1 2 3
2 3 5
3 3 6

4 3 7

5 4 9

6 4 10

7 4 11
Error Detection and Correction
Positions of redundancy bits in Hamming code
Error Detection and Correction
Redundancy bits calculation
Error Detection and Correction
Example of redundancy bit calculation
Error Detection and Correction
Error detection using Hamming code
Error Detection and Correction
Burst error correction example