Source coding and channel coding are fundamental in data communication, each with a specific role in data transmission:
- Source Coding
- Purpose: Aims to compress data, reducing redundancy to minimize transmission data volume.
- How It Works: Analyzes data for efficiency, using lossless or lossy compression methods.
- Examples: Huffman coding, Run-length encoding, JPEG compression.
- Benefit: Lowers bandwidth needs and storage requirements.
- Channel Coding
- Purpose: Protects data against transmission errors by adding controlled redundancy.
- How It Works: Introduces error-correcting codes to enable error detection and correction at the receiver.
- Examples: Parity bits, Hamming codes, Convolutional codes.
- Benefit: Enhances reliability of data transmission over noisy channels.
While source coding reduces the data size for transmission, channel coding safeguards the data's integrity during its journey across the communication channel.