Hamming code

The Hamming code is a self-correcting code (ECC → Error Correcting Code). For this purpose it uses several parity bits. The data bits are divided into groups, with each group being supplemented by one or more parity bits. By a clever choice of the grouping, besides an error detection also an error correction of the transmitted data bits is possible.

In the following we want to use an example to learn how the Hamming code forms a data block to be transmitted, how when this series of bits is received and checked whether it is incorrect or correct and finally how the Hamming code can carry out an error correction if necessary.