We can, to some extent,
correct errors made
by the receiver with only the error-filled bit stream emerging
from the digital channel available to us. The idea is for the
transmitter to send not only the symbol-derived bits emerging
from the source coder but also additional bits derived from the
coder's bit stream. These additional bits,
the
error correcting bits, help the receiver determine if
an error has occurred in the data bits (the important bits) or
in the error-correction bits. Instead of the
communication model shown previously, the transmitter inserts a
channel coder before analog modulation, and the
receiver the corresponding channel decoder (
Figure 1). This block diagram shown there forms the
Fundamental Model of Digital Communication.
Shannon's
Noisy Channel
Coding Theorem says that if the data aren't
transmitted too quickly, that error correction codes exist
that can correct
all the bit errors
introduced by the channel. Unfortunately, Shannon did not
demonstrate an error correcting code that would achieve this
remarkable feat; in fact, no one has found such a code.
Shannon's result proves it exists; seems like there is always
more work to do. In any case, that should not prevent us from
studying commonly used error correcting codes that not only
find their way into all digital communication systems, but
also into CDs and bar codes used on merchandise.
"Electrical Engineering Digital Processing Systems in Braille."