Guided scrambling: a new line coding technique for optical fiber communication systems

A line coding technique is introduced for binary signals which due to its simple encoding and decoding procedures is applicable to high-bit-rate optical fiber transmission systems. Because it is similar to the established technique of self-synchronizing scrambling and is also capable of guiding the scrambling process to produce a balanced encoding bit stream, this technique is termed guided scrambled (GS). The concept of GS coding is explained, followed by a discussion of possible code parameters, selection of which allows tailoring of code characteristics to meet system requirements. The performances of selected GS configurations are reported and compared to those of conventional line coding techniques.<>