2B1Q

Line code

Two-binary, one-quaternary (2B1Q) is a line code used in the U interface of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Basic Rate Interface (BRI) and the high-bit-rate digital subscriber line (HDSL).^[1] 2B1Q is a four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4) scheme without redundancy, mapping two bits (2B) into one quaternary symbol (1Q). Symbol rate is half of data rate.

A competing encoding technique in the ISDN basic rate U interface, mainly used in Europe, is 4B3T.

Encoding

To minimize error propagation, bit pairs (dibits) are assigned to voltage levels according to a Gray code, as follows:

If the voltage is misread as an adjacent level, this causes only a 1-bit error in the decoded data. 2B1Q code is not DC-balanced.

^ Reeve, Whitham D. (1995). Subscriber Loop Signaling and Transmission Handbook . IEEE Telecommunications Handbook Series. IEEE Press. ISBN 0780304403.

v t e Line coding (digital baseband transmission)
Main articles	Unipolar encoding Bipolar encoding On–off keying Mark and space
Basic line codes	Return to zero (RZ) Non-return-to-zero, level (NRZ/NRZ-L) Non-return-to-zero, inverted (NRZ-I) Non-return-to-zero, space (NRZ-S) Manchester Differential Manchester/biphase (Bi-φ)
Extended line codes	Conditioned diphase 4B3T 4B5B 2B1Q Alternate mark inversion Modified AMI code Coded mark inversion MLT-3 encoding Hybrid ternary code 6b/8b encoding 8b/10b encoding 64b/66b encoding Eight-to-fourteen modulation Delay/Miller encoding TC-PAM
Optical line codes	Carrier-Suppressed Return-to-Zero Alternate-Phase Return-to-Zero
See also: Baseband Baud Bit rate Digital signal Digital transmission Ethernet physical layer Pulse modulation methods Pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) Pulse-code modulation (PCM) Serial communication Category:Line codes