Performance of efficient balanced codes

The problem of appraising the spectral performance of codes based on a new algorithm for generating zero-disparity codewords presented by D.E. Knuth (1986) is addressed. In order to get some insight into the efficiency of Knuth´s construction technique, the authors evaluate the spectral properties of its code streams. The structure of Knuth codes allows the derivation a simple expression for (an approximation to) the sum of variance of these codes. This quantity plays a key role in the spectral performance characterization of DC-balanced codes. The authors evaluate this expression and compare the sum variance of Knuth codes with the sum variance of the polarity bit codes for fixed redundancy. Under the premise that the sum variance can serve as a quantity to judge the width of the spectral notch, the authors conclude that codes based on Knuth´s algorithm offer less spectral suppression than polarity bit codes with the same redundancy.