Gray Code

Why it matters

Gray code prevents glitches in mechanical encoders and simplifies error correction. Understanding shapes hardware interfaces.

The architecture

Encode: n XOR (n>>1). Decode: successive XORs.

Adjacent codes differ in one bit; enables glitch-free reads.

How it works end to end

Rotary encoders emit Gray codes.

Karnaugh maps use Gray ordering.

Error correction leverages single-bit adjacency.