Manchester Encoding

What Does Manchester Encoding Mean?

Manchester encoding is an algorithm used in computer networking to digitally encode data bits. With Manchester encoding, data bits are represented in a series of different stages, which occur in a logical sequence.

Techopedia Explains Manchester Encoding

In data communication, different encoding techniques are introduced for security of data and fast transmission. Manchester encoding is one such digital encoding technique. It is quite different from other digital encoding techniques because each data bit length is fixed by default. The bit state is determined according to the transition direction. Different systems represent bit status in different ways, but most systems represent 1 bit against low to high transition and 0 bit for high to low transition.

Signaling synchronization is the major advantage of Manchester encoding. Synchronization of signals provides higher reliability with the same data rate compared to other methods. But programmers should note that Manchester encoding has some disadvantages too. For example, the Manchester encoded signal consumes more bandwidth than the original signal.

Manchester encoding has the following characteristics:

• Each bit is transmitted in fixed time.
• A ‘1’ is noted when high to low transition occurs; 0 is expressed when a low to high transition is made.
• The transition that is used to note 1 or 0 accurately occurs at the mid-point of a period.