A strategy to generate random binary errors in a data stream

In the real world, noise and noise-like phenomena distort data signals, and the consequence is the occurrence of binary errors. In the laboratory environment it is often necessary to mimic the real world, simulating noise, crosstalk, delays, distortions. In some instances, however, as in testing the performance of error-detecting and error-correcting schemes and codecs, it is sufficient to simulate the end result of these phenomena, i.e., to force errors in a data stream in a random albeit controlled manner. This article describes a strategy based on the random Tattsworthe generator to achieve this purpose.