Gray Code — Primary Practical Use What is the primary real-world use of Gray code in digital systems and instrumentation?

Introduction / Context:
Gray code is a binary numbering scheme where adjacent codes differ by only one bit. This single-bit-change property drastically reduces the chance of ambiguous readings when multiple bits do not change simultaneously—an issue common with mechanical sensors and encoders.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Mechanical or optical encoders produce discrete position codes as a shaft rotates.
• Signal transitions are not perfectly simultaneous due to mechanical tolerances and electrical skew.
• A robust position readout should avoid misinterpretation between adjacent positions.

Concept / Approach:
Because only one bit changes between successive Gray codes, momentary overlap or timing skew cannot create a codeword that corresponds to a distant position. Thus Gray code is ideal for shaft encoders and other position transducers, ensuring reliable, monotonic readings as the shaft moves.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Consider an encoder disk with tracks producing a multi-bit code.During a boundary transition between positions, only one Gray bit toggles.Therefore, any transient read error is limited to one-bit ambiguity (adjacent position), not a multi-bit error.Hence, Gray code is primarily used to represent mechanical shaft position.

Verification / Alternative check:
Industrial encoders and robotics sensors commonly specify Gray output; controller firmware often converts Gray→binary after sampling.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• turning on/off software switches: Too generic; not a coding scheme’s primary use.
• ASCII/hexadecimal for angular position: ASCII and hexadecimal are unrelated encodings for this purpose.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing Gray code with error-correcting codes; it reduces transition ambiguity but does not add redundancy for correction.

Final Answer:
coded representation of a shaft's mechanical position