paritybiti

Parity bits are a simple form of error detection code. They are used to ensure data integrity during transmission or storage. A parity bit is added to a block of data, such as a character or a byte, to make the total number of '1' bits in the block either even or odd.

There are two main types of parity: even parity and odd parity. With even parity, the parity bit is set to '1' if the number of '1' bits in the data is odd, and set to '0' if the number of '1' bits is already even. This ensures the total count of '1's, including the parity bit, is always even. Conversely, with odd parity, the parity bit is set to '1' if the number of '1' bits is even, and set to '0' if it's already odd, resulting in a total odd number of '1' bits.

When data is received, the parity is recalculated. If the calculated parity matches the received parity bit, it is assumed the data has been transmitted correctly. If there is a mismatch, it indicates that an error has occurred during transmission. However, simple parity checking can only detect an odd number of bit errors. If an even number of bits are flipped, the parity will still appear correct, and the error will go undetected. This limitation means parity bits are often used in conjunction with other error correction techniques for more robust data integrity.