DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS /

COMMUNICATIONS 2
 Chapter 5
Line Encoding

■ Subtopics: 1) Unipolar, Bipolar, NRZ, and RZ, 2) Bi-phase/Manchester Encoding, and

NRZ variations, 3) B3ZS, B6ZS, B8ZS, HDB3
■ At the end of the chapter, the learner should be able to:
– Differentiate the various line encoding schemes
– Solve problems involving various line encoding schemes
Unipolar, Bipolar, NRZ, and RZ
Subtopic #1
• All the signal levels are on one side of the time axis,
either above or below.

• Unipolar transmission of binary data involves the

transmission of only a single nonzero voltage level.

• Either a positive or a negative voltage for a logic 1 and

0V (ground) for a logic 0.
• Two nonzero voltages are involved.

• A positive voltage for a logic 1 and an equal-magnitude

negative voltage for a logic 0 or vice versa.
Non-Return-to-Zero Return-to-Zero
Binary pulse is The active time of the
maintained for the entire binary pulse is less than
bit time, which means 100% of the bit time.
duty cycle is 100%.
• Logic 1: +V (positive logic)
• Logic 0: 0 V
• Average dc voltage = V/2 (if number of 1s = number of 0s)
• Logic 1: +V
• Logic 0: -V
• Average dc voltage = 0 (if number of 1s = number of 0s)
• Logic 1: +V for the 50% of the bit time (positive logic)
• Logic 0: 0 V
• Average dc voltage = V/4 (if number of 1s = number of 0s)
• Logic 1: +V for the 50% of the bit time (positive logic)
• Logic 0: -V for the 50% of the bit time
• Average dc voltage = 0 (if number of 1s = number of 0s)
• Logic 1: +V (positive logic) and –V for the next ‘1’
• Logic 0: 0 V
• Average dc voltage = 0 (regardless of bit sequence)
• With NRZ encoding, a long string of either logic 1s or
logic 0s produces a condition in which a receive may
lose its amplitude reference for optimum discrimination
between received 1s and 0s.

• The problem may also arise when there is a

significant imbalance in the number of 1s and 0s
transmitted.
Bi-phase/Manchester Encoding, and
NRZ variations
Subtopic #2
• Sometimes called Manchester code or Diphase.

• Produces a strong timing component for clock recovery

and does not cause dc wandering.

• A disadvantage of biphase is that it contains no means

of error detection.
• Biphase is a form of BPRZ encoding that uses one
cycle of a square wave at 0 deg phase to represent a
logic 1 and one cycle of a square wave at 180 deg
phase to represent a logic 0.
1. Biphase M (Biphase-mark)
2. Biphase L (Biphase-level/Manchester)
3. Biphase S (Biphase-space)
4. Differential Manchester
5. Miller/Delay modulation
• Logic 1: transition in the middle of the clock interval
• Logic 0: no transition in the middle of the clock interval
• Note: There is always a transition at the beginning of the
clock interval
• Logic 1: transition from high to low in the middle of the
clock interval
• Logic 0: transition from low to high in the middle of the
clock interval
• Logic 1: no transition in the middle of the clock interval
• Logic 0: transition in the middle of the clock interval
• Note: There is always a transition at the beginning of the
clock interval.
• Logic 1: transition in the middle of the clock interval
• Logic 0: transition at the beginning and in the middle of the
clock interval
• Logic 1: transition in the middle of the clock interval
• Logic 0: no transition at the end of the clock interval unless
followed by a zero
1. Non-Return to Zero-Level (NRZ-L)
2. Non-Return to Zero-Mark (NRZ-M)
3. Non-Return to Zero-Space (NRZ-S)
• Logic 1: High Level
• Logic 0: Low Level
• Logic 1: Transition at the beginning of interval
• Logic 0: No transition
• Logic 1: No change
• Logic 0: Transition at the beginning of interval
B3ZS, B6ZS, B8ZS, HDB3
Subtopic #3
• Binary Eight Zero Substitution

• A technique is used to ensure that sufficient transitions

occur in the data to maintain clock synchronization in
T1 carrier systems.

• 8 consecutive 0s substitution pattern:

• Binary Six Zero Substitution

• A technique is used to ensure that sufficient transitions

occur in the data to maintain clock synchronization in
T2 carrier systems

• 6 consecutive 0s substitution pattern:

• Binary Three Zero Substitution

• A technique is used to ensure that sufficient transitions

occur in the data to maintain clock synchronization in
T3 carrier systems

• 3 consecutive 0s substitution pattern:

• High-Density Bipolar 3-zero

• More conservative than B8ZS

• 4 consecutive 0s = 000V or B00V

• If the number of nonzero pulses after the last
substitution is odd, the substitution pattern will be 000V,
which makes the total number of nonzero pulses even.

• If the number of nonzero pulses after the last

substitution is even, the substitution pattern will be B00V,
which makes the total number of nonzero pulses even.
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[4] Gupta. (2016) An Integrated Course in Electronics and Communication Engineering. S. K. Kataria
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[5] Ha, Tri. T. (2011) Theory and Design of Digital Communication Systems. Cambridge University
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[6] Meadows, Jennifer H. (2018) Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals. Routledge.
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QUESTIONS?