BIT STUFFING
\bˈɪt stˈʌfɪŋ], \bˈɪt stˈʌfɪŋ], \b_ˈɪ_t s_t_ˈʌ_f_ɪ_ŋ]\
Sort: Oldest first
-
A protocol which guarantees the receiver ofsynchronous data can recover the sender's clock. When thedata stream sent contains a large number of adjacent bitswhich cause no transition of the signal, the receiver cannotadjust its clock to maintain proper synchronised reception.To eliminate the possibility of such a pathological case, whena preset number of transitionless bits have been transmitted,a bit which does cause a transition is "stuffed" (transmitted)by the sender. The receiver follows the same protocol andremoves the stuffed bit after the specified number oftransitionless bits, but can use the stuffed bit to recoverthe sender's clock.The advantage of bit stuffing is that only a bit (not abyte) is inserted in the data stream, and that only when thecontent of the data stream fails to provide a timing signal tothe receiver. Thus very nearly 100% of the bits transportedare useful data. In contrast, asynchronous transmission ofdata "throws away" a start bit and one or more stop bits foreach data byte sent.
By Denis Howe
Word of the day
Snake's-head
- Guinea-hen flower; -- so called in England because its spotted petals resemble the scales of a snake's head.