Burst error

Introduction

A burst error, also known as a burst error pattern, is a term used in digital communications to describe a contiguous sequence of symbols, bits, or characters in which errors occur. The concept of burst error is particularly significant in the field of error detection and correction, where it is used to model the occurrence of errors in transmission channels 1(#ref1).

A digital transmission line showing a burst error.

Definition and Characteristics

In a digital communication system, a burst error is defined as a block of consecutive bits within a data unit in which the first and last bits are in error and there exists no contiguous subsequence of correct bits of a certain length within the error block 2(#ref2). The length of the burst error is the number of bits from the first erroneous bit to the last erroneous bit in the data unit, inclusive. The burst length is often denoted as 'L'.

Burst errors are characterized by the fact that they affect multiple bits within a data unit rather than individual bits. This distinguishes them from random errors, which are independent and occur sporadically throughout the data stream. Burst errors are typically caused by physical phenomena such as noise spikes in electrical transmission or scratches on optical media, which can affect multiple bits in a row 3(#ref3).

Causes of Burst Errors

Burst errors can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

Noise Spikes: Sudden increases in electrical or electromagnetic noise can cause multiple bits to be misread during transmission. This is a common cause of burst errors in wired and wireless communication systems 4(#ref4).

Signal Fading: In wireless communication, signal fading due to changes in the propagation path can cause multiple consecutive bits to be lost, resulting in a burst error 5(#ref5).

Physical Damage: Physical damage to the transmission medium, such as scratches on an optical disc or damage to a network cable, can cause burst errors.

A scratched optical disc causing burst errors.

Detection and Correction of Burst Errors

The detection and correction of burst errors is a significant challenge in digital communications. Traditional error detection and correction techniques, such as parity checks and cyclic redundancy checks (CRC), are not always effective at detecting and correcting burst errors, as they are designed to handle random errors.

To address this issue, several burst error detection and correction techniques have been developed. These include:

Burst Error Correcting Codes: These are codes specifically designed to detect and correct burst errors. Examples include the Fire code and the Reed-Solomon code 6(#ref6).

Interleaving: This technique involves rearranging the order of bits in the data unit so that consecutive bits in the original data unit are not transmitted consecutively. This can help to spread out burst errors, making them easier to detect and correct 7(#ref7).

Interleaving technique being used to spread out burst errors.

Impact of Burst Errors

The impact of burst errors can be significant, particularly in systems that transmit large amounts of data over long distances. Burst errors can lead to data corruption, loss of information, and in some cases, system failures. In communication systems, burst errors can cause dropped calls, degraded voice quality, and interrupted data services 8(#ref8).

In data storage systems, burst errors can result in the loss of critical data. For example, a burst error on a hard disk drive could result in the loss of an entire file or even render the entire drive unreadable.

Conclusion

Burst errors represent a significant challenge in the field of digital communications. Despite the development of sophisticated error detection and correction techniques, burst errors remain a major source of data corruption in communication and data storage systems. Ongoing research in this area continues to focus on the development of more effective techniques for detecting and correcting burst errors.

References

<a id="ref1"></a>Proakis, J. G., & Salehi, M. (2008). Digital Communications, 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill.
<a id="ref2"></a>Lin, S., & Costello, D. J. (2004). Error Control Coding, 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall.
<a id="ref3"></a>Rappaport, T. S. (2002). Wireless Communications: Principles and Practice, 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall.
<a id="ref4"></a>Haykin, S. (2001). Communication Systems, 4th Edition. Wiley.
<a id="ref5"></a>Goldsmith, A. (2005). Wireless Communications. Cambridge University Press.
<a id="ref6"></a>Blahut, R. E. (2003). Algebraic Codes for Data Transmission. Cambridge University Press.
<a id="ref7"></a>Biglieri, E., Proakis, J. G., & Shamai, S. (1998). Fading channels: Information-theoretic and communications aspects. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 44(6), 2619-2692.
<a id="ref8"></a>Skalar, B. (2001). Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications, 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall.