Abstract: In an error correcting system for use in transmitting a packet from a transmitter to a receiver, a packet header is preceded by an input signal and is formed by a Reed-Solomon code in the transmitter by adding an error correcting code to a header information signal. In the receiver, a plurality of syndromes are calculated by a syndrome calculator in response to the packet header to detect whether or not at least one error is included in the packet header. On detection of at least one error, an error correction circuit is energized in accordance with a program to locate and to correct the at least one error on the basis of procedure determined for correction of the Reed-Solomon code and may be structured by a plurality of hardware circuits.