Manchester code: Difference between revisions

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

In [[telecommunicationtelecommunications]] and [[computer data storage|data storage]], '''Manchester code''' (also known as '''phase encoding''', or '''PE''') is a [[line code]] in which the encoding of each data [[bit]] is either low then high, or high then low, for equal time. It is a [[self-clocking signal]] with no [[DC component]]. Consequently, electrical connections using a Manchester code are easily [[galvanic isolation|galvanically isolated]].

Manchester code derives its name from its development at the [[University of Manchester]], where the coding was used for storing data on the magnetic drums of the [[Manchester Mark 1]] computer.

Manchester code was widely used for [[magnetic recording]] on 1600&nbsp;bpi computer tapes before the introduction of 6250&nbsp;bpi tapes which used the more efficient [[group-coded recording]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Digital Magnetic Tape Recording |author-first=John J. G. |author-last=Savard |date=2018 |orig-year=2006 |work=quadibloc |url=http://www.quadibloc.com/comp/tapeint.htm |access-date=2018-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702234956/http://www.quadibloc.com/comp/tapeint.htm |archive-date=2018-07-02 }}</ref> Manchester code was used in early [[Ethernet physical layer]] standards and is still used in [[consumer IR]] protocols, [[RFID]] and [[near-field communication]]. It was and still is used for uploading commands to the [[Voyager spacecraft]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Mark |title=Communicating Over Billions of Miles: Long Distance Communications in the Voyager Spacecraft |url=https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/voyager-mission-anniversary-celebration-long-distance-communications/ |website=All About Circuits |access-date=27 September 2024 |date=2 July 2017}}</ref>

== Features ==

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==Encoding and decoding==

[[Image:Manchester encoding both conventions.svg|class=skin-invert-image|thumb|650px|An example of Manchester encoding showing both [[Manchester code#Conventions for representation of data|conventions for representation of data]], where : {{math|1=''[[Leet|1337]]''₁₀ = ''10100111001''₂}}]]

Manchester code always has a transition at the middle of each bit period and may (depending on the information to be transmitted) have a transition at the start of the period also. The direction of the mid-bit transition indicates the data. Transitions at the period boundaries do not carry information. They exist only to place the signal in the correct state to allow the mid-bit transition.

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There are two opposing conventions for the representations of data.

The first of these was first published by G. E. Thomas in 1949 and is followed by numerous authors (e.g., [[Andrew S. Tanenbaum|Andy Tanenbaum]]).<ref name="tanenbaum">{{cite book |author-last=Tanenbaum |author-first=Andrew S. |author-link=Andrew S. Tanenbaum |title=Computer Networks |edition=4th |publisher=[[Prentice Hall]] |date=2002 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/computernetworks00tane_2/page/274 274–275] |isbn=0-13-066102-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/computernetworks00tane_2/page/274 }}</ref> It specifies that for a 0 bit the signal levels will be low–high (assuming an amplitude physical encoding of the data) – with a low level in the first half of the bit period, and a high level in the second half. For a 1 bit the signal levels will be high–low. This is also known as Manchester II or Biphase-L code.

The second convention is also followed by numerous authors (e.g., [[William Stallings]])<ref name="stallings">{{cite book |author-last=Stallings |author-first=William |author-link=William Stallings |title=Data and Computer Communications |edition=7th |publisher=[[Prentice Hall]] |date=2004 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/datacomputercomm00stal_1/page/137 137–138] |isbn=0-13-100681-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/datacomputercomm00stal_1/page/137 }}</ref> as well as by [[IEEE 802.4]] (token bus) and lower speed versions of [[IEEE 802.3]] (Ethernet) standards. It states that a logic 0 is represented by a high–low signal sequence and a logic 1 is represented by a low–high signal sequence.

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Encoding conventions are as follows:

* Each bit is transmitted in a fixed time (the "period").

* A <code>0</code> is expressed by a low-to-high transition, a <code>1</code> by high-to-low transition (according to G. E. Thomas's convention – in the IEEE 802.3 convention, the reverse is true).<ref name="Manchesterencoding">{{Cite journal |author-last1=Forster |author-first1=R. |title=Manchester encoding: Opposing definitions resolved |doi=10.1049/esej:20000609 |journal=Engineering Science & Education Journal |volume=9 |issue=6 |pages=278–280 |date=2000|doi-broken-date=12 July 2025 }}</ref>

* The transitions which signify <code>0</code> or <code>1</code> occur at the midpoint of a period.

* Transitions at the start of a period are overhead and don't signify data.

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[[Category:Line codes]]

[[Category:Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester]]

[[Category:History of computing in the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:History of telecommunications in the United Kingdom]]