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Understanding the Role of Gray Code in Improving Digital Communication Systems



N-bit gray code
N-bit gray code

Gray code, also known as reflected binary code or unit distance code, is a binary numeral system where two consecutive values differ in only one bit. This unique property makes Gray code particularly useful in applications like rotary encoders, analog-to-digital converters, and error detection. 


Gray Code Representation: 

In Gray code, the transition from one value to the next involves flipping only one bit at a time. This is in contrast to binary representation, where two consecutive values may differ in multiple bits. Let's take a look at a simple example: 

           Decimal  

         Binary  

      Gray code 

000 

000 

001 

001 

010 

011 

011 

010 

100 

110 

101 

111 

110 

101 

 

You can observe that the Gray code changes only one bit at a time, reducing the chances of errors during transitions and providing a more robust representation. 


Gray Code Conversion: 

Converting binary to Gray code (and vice versa) involves straightforward algorithms. 


Binary to Gray Code: 


  • Start from the Most Significant Bit (MSB): Begin with the leftmost (MSB) bit of the binary number, as it remains unchanged in the Gray code. 

  • Perform XOR Operation: For each subsequent bit, perform an exclusive OR (XOR) operation between the current bit and the previous bit from the binary number. 

Example: 

Binary: 101110 Gray Code: 111010  


Gray Code to Binary


  • MSB Remains Unchanged: The leftmost (MSB) bit of the Gray code remains the same in the binary representation. 

  • Perform XOR Operation: For each subsequent bit, perform an XOR operation between the current bit of the Gray code and the previous bit from the binary representation. 

Example: 

Gray Code: 110011 Binary: 100010 

 

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