Abstract: A single width bar code is appended with an end mark which includes a blank interval and a bar. The resulting bar code is bidirectional and inherently self clocking so as to be particularly useful in the identification of semiconductor wafers in very large scale integrated circuit manufacturing processes. The codes described are robust, reliable, and highly readable even in the face of relatively high variations in scanning speed. The codes are also desirably dense in terms of character representations per linear measurements, an important consideration in semiconductor manufacturing wherein space on chips and wafers is at a premium. Additionally, a preferred embodiment of the present invention exhibits a minimum number for the maximum number of spaces between adjacent bars in code symbol sequences.

Abstract: In a memory system comprising a plurality of memory units each of which possesses unit-level error correction capabilities and each of which are tied to a system level error correction function, memory reliability is enhanced by providing a mechanism for disabling the unit-level error correction capability, for example, in response to the occurrence of an uncorrectable error in one of the memory units. This counter-intuitive approach which disables an error correction function nonetheless enhances overall memory system reliability since it enables the employment of the complement/recomplement algorithm which depends upon the presence of reproducible errors for proper operation. Thus, chip level error correction systems, which are increasingly desirable at high packaging densities, are employed in a way which does not interfere with system level error correction methods.

Abstract: An error correction coding system employs a single check symbol from an arbitrary sequence of information symbols to provide single error correction at the symbol level. The sequence of information symbols may in fact also be arbitrarily long. The coding system of the present invention provides both a method and apparatus for encoding the check symbol and a method and apparatus for error correction based upon the single coded symbol character. The system is particularly applicable for use in conjunction with bar code recognition systems but is in fact applicable to a broad range of coding systems, including optical character recognition and ordinary alphanumeric codes. The system is also extendable to any system employing an odd number of code symbols that may be present in a single character position.

Abstract: An error correction coding system employs a single check symbol from an arbitrary sequence of information symbols to provide single error correction at the symbol level. The sequence of information symbols may in fact also be arbitrarily long. The coding system of the present invention provides both a method and apparatus for encoding the check symbol and a method and apparatus for error correction based upon the single coded symbol character. The system is particularly applicable for use in conjunction with bar code recognition systems but is in fact applicable to a broad range of coding systems, including optical character recognition and ordinary alphanumeric codes. The system is also extendable to any system employing an odd number of code symbols that may be present in a single character position.

Abstract: In a memory system comprising a plurality of memory units each of which possesses unit-level error correction capabilities and each of which are tied to a system level error correction function, memory reliability is enhanced by providing means for fixing the output of one of the memory units at a fixed value in response to the occurrence of an uncorrectable error in one of the memory units. This counter-intuitive approach to the generation of forced hard errors nonetheless enhances overall memory system reliability since it enables the employment of the complement/recomplement algorithm which depends upon the presence of reproducible errors for proper operation. Thus, clip level error correction systems, which are increasingly desirable at high packaging densities, are employed in a way which does not interfere with system level error correction methods.

Abstract: A reduced redundancy error correction and detection code is shown for memory organized with several bits of the data word on each chip. This package error correction and detection will correct all errors on any one chip and detect errors on more than one chip. A certain arrangement of an ECC matrix is first created for a symbol size code greater than the number of bits per chip. Thereafter certain columns of the matrix are removed to create the final code having a symbol size the same as the number of bits per chip. A specific example of an 80 bit code word is shown having 66 data bits and 14 check bits for a 4-bit-per-chip memory.

Abstract: An extended error code particularly applicable to a code that can correct any number of errors in one sub-field but can only detect the existence of any number of errors in two sub-fields. If the initial pass of the data through the error correction code indicates an uncorrected error, the data is complemented and restored in the memory and then reread. The retrieved data is recomplemented and again passed through the error correction code. If an uncorrected error persists, then a bit-by-bit comparision is performed between the originally read data and the retrieved complemented data to isolate the hard fails in the memory. The bits in the sub-field associated with the hard fail are then sequentially changed and then the changed data word is passed through the error correction code. A wrong combination is detected by the error correction code.

Abstract: A code is generated using BCH coding theory which corrects double bit failures and detects triple failures and packaging errors. The code is a shortened code in which both data and check bit columns have been removed from the parity check matrix. A decoding technique is used which splits the look-up tables used to reduce their size.

Abstract: This specification describes a convolutional code and apparatus for the correction of errors in differentially encoded quadrature phase shift keyed data (DQPSK). In each sequence of forty bits 24 are information bits and the remainder are parity bits. Two parity bits are generated for each three information bit set in the sequence in accordance with the following equations:P.sub.8.sup.a = i.sub.8.sup.a .sym.i.sub.8.sup.b .sym.i.sub.6.sup.b .sym.i.sub.1.sup.b .sym.i.sub.3.sup.c .sym.i.sub.2.sup.cP.sub.8.sup.b = i.sub.8.sup.a .sym.i.sub.6.sup.a .sym.i.sub.3.sup.a .sym.i.sub.5.sup.b .sym.i.sub.8.sup.c .sym.i.sub.4.sup.cwhere i.sub.8.sup.a, i.sub.8.sup.b and i.sub.8.sup.c are the three information bits in the set associated with the parity bits P.sub.8.sup.a and P.sub.8.sup.b while the other information bits are from the seven sets of the sequence preceding the set associated with the parity bits.