For SDRAM or DDR memory, just count the number of small black chips on one side of your existing memory modules. If the number of chips is even then you have non-ECC. If the number of chips is odd then you have ECC.
Q. What is the difference between ECC and parity?
The main difference is that in parity checking, each parity bit is associated with a single byte while the ECC word is associated with the entire eight bytes. If one were to implement ECC on a 486 (32-bit width), it would require seven (7) bits for the ECC word.
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Q. Is parity still used?
Parity checking is used for communications, although more advanced protocols such as the Microcom Networking Protocols (MNP) and ITU-T V. 42b is supplanted it as the standard in modem communication. It is still used for memory storage device testing, for example, to run memory checks when data is read.
Q. What does parity error mean?
A parity error is an error that results from irregular changes to data, as it is recorded when it is entered in memory. Different types of parity errors can require the retransmission of data or cause serious system errors, such as system crashes.
Q. Does ECC use parity?
ECC uses parity bits, and enough parity bits allows as many data bits to be corrected as desired.
Q. What is parity used for?
It is used to validate the integrity of the data. The value of the parity bit is assigned either 0 or 1 that makes the number of 1s in the message block either even or odd depending upon the type of parity. Parity check is suitable for single bit error detection only.
Q. How does parity check for errors in memory?
The computer checks a bit for parity each time a byte is transferred or transmitted. The process of parity uses simple arithmetic to determine whether stored data values are the same when they are read as they were when they were written. This is fine for detecting errors, but it doesn’t do anything to correct them.
