Q: Are parity bits used as the simplest form of error detecting code? ¶
A: Yes.
Q: Is a parity bit only guaranteed to detect an odd number of bit errors? ¶
A: Yes.
Q: Is a parity bit only suitable for detecting errors? ¶
A: Yes, it cannot correct any errors, as there is no way to determine which particular bit is corrupted.
Q: Is a parity bit the Check digit? ¶
A: Yes.
Q: Are parity bits generally applied to the smallest units of a communication protocol? ¶
A: Yes, and typically 8-bit octets , although they can also be applied separately to an entire message string of bits.