Error checking and

Cambridge correction
IGCSE Unit 2: Communication and
Computer Science
Internet technologies
Section 1

2
Objectives
• Understand the need to check for errors in data
transmission
• Explain how parity bits are used for error detection
• Calculate and describe the use of check digits
• Identify and describe checksums for error detection
• Describe the use of Automatic Repeat reQuests
(ARQ) to check for correct data transmission
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Transmission errors
• When data is transmitted, it doesn’t
always arrive in the same format that
it was sent
• Electrical interference
• Power surges
• Synchronisation issues
• Wear and tear on the cable or connectors

• These errors cause bits to flip from

1s to 0s and 0s to 1s
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Error checking
• Computers need methods to check for data
transmission errors caused by interference
• These methods include the use of:
• Parity bits
• Check digits
• Check sums and
• Automatic Repeat reQuests (ARQ)
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Parity bits
• Computers use either odd or even parity
• When sending a byte of data, one bit is used as a
parity bit
• This bit is set to a 1 or 0 to make the total number of
1s or 0s in the byte (including the parity bit) odd or
even depending on the machine

0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1
Parity bit
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Odd or even parity

• What would the value of the parity bit be for the
following, using even parity?

1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Parity bit

• Give the parity bit value here using odd parity?

0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Parity bit
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Using parity for error detection

• When data is transmitted, the parity bit is set at the
transmitting end and parity is checked at the
receiving end
• If the wrong number of bits are ‘on’, an error has
occurred
• The receiving computer notifies the transmitting end
and the data is resent
• How could a parity check allow an erroneous byte past
detection?
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Check digits
• A check digit is an additional digit at the end of a
string of other numbers designed to check for
mistakes in input or transmission
• Printed books and other products have a unique
barcode with an ISBN (International Standard Book
Number) or EAN (European Article Number)
• The first 12 digits of the barcode are the unique item
number, the 13th is the check digit
• This can be calculated using the Modulo 10 system
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Calculating the check digit

ISBN 5 0 1 4 0 1 6 1 5 0 8 2 1
Weight 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3  
Multiplication 5 0 1 12 0 3 6 3 5 0 8 6  
Addition Add all the numbers 49
Remainder Find the remainder when divided by 10 9
Subtraction Subtract the result from 10 1
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Calculating the check digit

ISBN 9 7 8 1 9 1 0 5 2 3 0 2 5
Weight 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3  
Multiplication 9 21 8 3 9 3 1 15 2 9 1 6  
Addition Add all the numbers 49
Remainder Find the remainder when divided by 10 9
Subtraction Subtract the result from 10 1
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Worksheet 2
• Complete Task 1 to calculate the check digit on the
back of a book, or the one below:
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Checksums
• A checksum works in a similar way to a check digit
• The checksum of all bytes in a data transmission is calculated
using an algorithm
• The checksum is sent with the data
• The receiving computer recalculates the checksum based on
the data it received and compares it with the checksum
received or a known, expected value
• If it does not match, the data may have been altered or
corrupted during transmission and the data is resent
• Checksums are used with credit card numbers
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Simple checksum example

• The number of bytes in the transmission is counted
as 4
• The checksum is given the value 4 in binary and
sent with the real data

00000100 01101011 11011011 01101010 10010110

Check sum

• What flaws or weaknesses are there in the method used in

this example?
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Automatic Repeat reQuests

• Computers using ARQs will automatically return an
acknowledgement that the data was correct
• The simplest Stop-and-wait ARQ will
resend the data if an acknowledgement
is not received within a specific time
period; it will assume that there was
a flaw in the data or transmission error
• It is sometimes used with mobile phone
network data
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

ARQ flowchart
START

Set timer Resend data

Has timer Yes

   
timed out?
 

No
 
No
Acknowledgement
 
 
received?
 
Yes
 
Transmission
complete

END
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Worksheet 2
• Complete Task 2
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

Plenary
• Data transmission errors can occur owing to:
• Electrical interference
• Power surges
• Synchronisation issues
• Wear and tear on the cable or connectors

• Parity checks and checksums are two methods of

verifying that data has been received correctly
• Computers using ARQs (Automatic Repeat
Requests) will automatically return an
acknowledgement if the data was correct
Error checking and correction
Unit 2 Communication and Internet technologies

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