Framing error

A framing error is the result of reading a string of symbols which are grouped in blocks starting at the wrong point.

• In genetics, the symbols are nucleotides and the blocks are codons consisting of three nucleotides. Framing errors result from insertion or deletion mutations. This generally produces total gibberish, but some organisms have genes which contain other genes in different framing.
• In communication, the symbols are bits and the blocks are bytes, ten bits in asynchronous transmission and eight in synchronous. A framing error in an asynchronous stream usually recovers quickly, but a framing error in a synchronous stream produces gibberish to the end of the packet. Framing errors can be detected with parity bits.