Which code family operates on symbols rather than individual bits to improve burst error handling?

Which code family operates on symbols rather than individual bits to improve burst error handling?

• A. Hamming code
• B. Reed-Solomon code
• C. Convolutional code
• D. Shannon limit

Answer: (B)

Symbol-based coding means using groups of bits as the basic unit, rather than single bits. Reed-Solomon codes treat data as symbols from a finite field and can correct multiple symbol errors within a block. This is especially effective for burst errors, where several consecutive bits are damaged; if a burst affects only a few symbols, RS codes can recover the original data as long as the number of erroneous symbols stays within the code’s capability (t = (n − k)/2 symbols). In short, handling errors at the symbol level provides strong protection against bursts. Other options operate at the bit level or as separate concepts: Hamming codes are limited to correcting a small number of bit errors, convolutional codes work on streaming bits with memory, and the Shannon limit is a capacity bound, not a code family.

Symbol-based coding means using groups of bits as the basic unit, rather than single bits. Reed-Solomon codes treat data as symbols from a finite field and can correct multiple symbol errors within a block. This is especially effective for burst errors, where several consecutive bits are damaged; if a burst affects only a few symbols, RS codes can recover the original data as long as the number of erroneous symbols stays within the code’s capability (t = (n − k)/2 symbols). In short, handling errors at the symbol level provides strong protection against bursts. Other options operate at the bit level or as separate concepts: Hamming codes are limited to correcting a small number of bit errors, convolutional codes work on streaming bits with memory, and the Shannon limit is a capacity bound, not a code family.