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Everything about 8b/10b encoding

Line code mapping 8-bit words to 10-bit symbols

In telecommunications, 8b/10b is a line code that maps 8-bit words to 10-bit symbols to achieve DC balance and bounded disparity, and at the same time provide enough state changes to allow reasonable clock recovery. This means that the difference between the counts of ones and zeros in a string of at least 20 bits is no more than two, and that there are not more than five ones or zeros in a row. This helps to reduce the demand for the lower bandwidth limit of the channel necessary to transfer the signal. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: 8b/10b encodingA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Improving position encoding of transformers for multivariate time series classificationInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Mathematical structures for computer scienceThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: SMILES, a chemical language and information system. 1. Introduction to methodology and encoding rulesCited 6,700 times
  5. Go sideways: 64b/66b encodingA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: 6b/8b encodingA closely related topic

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