Dekodierer

A Dekodierer (decoder) is a device or software component that reverses encoding to recover the original information. The term is used across electronics, telecommunications, and data processing to describe hardware or software that interprets encoded data and outputs a usable form such as digital signals, text, or media streams.

In digital electronics, a decoder is a combinational circuit with n input lines and up to 2^n output lines. The circuit activates exactly one output corresponding to the binary value present on its inputs. Common variants include binary decoders, BCD-to-decimal decoders, and 7-segment display decoders. They are widely used for address decoding, data routing, and display driving.

In communications and data encoding, decoders reverse encoding schemes applied to signals or files. Examples include audio and video decoders (such as MP3, AAC, or H.264), Huffman or arithmetic decoders used in compression, and error-correcting code decoders such as Reed–Solomon. Decoding may involve reconstructing timing, sampling, or error correction to recover the original data stream.

In software and data formats, decoders are software components or libraries that translate encoded representations back into usable data. Examples include Base64 decoders, JSON decoders (parsing text into data structures), and protocol decoders that interpret structured messages.

Dekodierer are a general counterpart to encoder devices or processes and form a key part of many digital systems, from microprocessors and memory systems to multimedia players and communication networks.