Eleven Categories of Line Noise
1. White noise or Gaussian noise (background hiss or static on radios and telephones)
- is caused by the thermal agitation of electrons and therefore is inescapable.
- is treated by increasing the strength of the electrical signal = increasing the signal noise ratio
2. Impulse noise (also called spikes)
- is the primary source of errors in data communications
- is heard as a click or a crackling noise
- can last as long as 1/100 of a second
- does not affect voice communications but can cause a burst error in data transmission