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--- tanszek:oktatas:techcomm:reed-solomon_codes [2024/10/06 19:34] – [Summary of Steps] knehez
+++ tanszek:oktatas:techcomm:reed-solomon_codes [2024/10/06 19:43] (current) – [Step 1: Data Symbols] knehez
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+~~NOTOC~~
 ==== Reed-Solomon codes ====
+**Reed-Solomon (RS) codes** are a type of **error-correcting code** used to detect and correct data transmission or storage errors. They are particularly effective at correcting burst errors, where multiple consecutive bits are corrupted. Reed-Solomon codes are widely used in applications like **CDs, DVDs, QR codes, satellite communications**, and **data storage systems**.
+==== Key Concepts ====
+=== 1. Symbols Instead of Bits ===
+Unlike simpler error-correcting codes (such as Hamming codes, which operate on individual bits), Reed-Solomon codes operate on **symbols**. A symbol is a block of bits (e.g., 8 bits) that represents a larger unit of data.
+For example, in an 8-bit RS code, each symbol is an 8-bit value, allowing the code to work on groups of 8 bits (1 byte) at a time. RS codes can handle burst errors, meaning they can correct errors that affect multiple consecutive bits in a single symbol.
+=== 2. Block-Based Code ===
+Reed-Solomon codes are **block codes**, meaning they work by dividing data into fixed-size blocks and encoding each block independently.
+  * **Message Length**: The number of data symbols in a block.
+  * **Codeword Length**: The total number of symbols (including parity) in a block after encoding.
+For example, in a typical RS code, you might have a message length of `k` data symbols and a codeword length of `n` total symbols, where `n > k`. The difference (`n - k`) represents the number of **redundant (parity)** symbols added for error correction.
+=== 3. Error Correction Capability ===
+Reed-Solomon codes can detect and correct multiple symbol errors. Specifically, an RS code can correct up to `(n - k) / 2` symbols of errors in a block.
+  * Error correction capability: The number of correctable symbols depends on how many parity symbols are added. More parity symbols increase the error-correcting strength but also increase the overhead.
 We'll use a simplified version with small numbers to make the process easier to understand. Typically, Reed-Solomon codes use larger fields (like 255 symbols for CDs), but in this example, we'll use a smaller field size.
@@ Line 28: / Line 52: @@
 Let’s assume we want to encode the following **3 data symbols**:
 \[
-\text{Data} = \{ 6, 4, 3 \}
+\text{data} = \{ 6, 4, 3 \}
 \]
@@ Line 85: / Line 109: @@
 ====Step 7: Error Introduction====
-Assume there is a transmission error, and the received codeword has errors in two symbols:
+Assume there is a transmission error, and the received codeword has errors in one symbol:
 \[
@@ Line 94: / Line 118: @@
 ====Step 8: Error Detection and Correction====
-Using the Reed-Solomon decoding algorithm (which involves using syndromes and solving the error locator polynomial), the receiver can detect that an error occurred and identify the erroneous symbol(s). Based on the parity and the syndromes, it would determine that the 6th symbol is incorrect and correct it back to the original value (4).
+Using the Reed-Solomon decoding algorithm (which involves solving the error locator polynomial), the receiver can detect that an error occurred and identify the erroneous symbol(s). Based on the parity and the syndromes, it would determine that the 6th symbol is incorrect and correct it back to the original value (4).
 Thus, the corrected codeword would be: