What does CRC mean in GENERAL

Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) is an error-detecting code commonly used in digital networks and storage devices to detect inadvertent changes to raw data. It detects accidental modifications to the data, such as those caused by noise in transmission channels or electromagnetic interference.

A CRC check takes a piece of data and generates a numerical representation of it known as a “checksum”. The checksum is then compared against another checksum generated from the same piece of data at its destination. If they match, then the received data has not been modified or corrupted during transit.

The main benefit of using Cyclic Redundancy Check is that it allows for detecting any errors that may have occurred during transmission, without needing a retransmission, thereby effectively eliminating potential problems of lost data. Additionally, these checks increase overall system reliability by quickly identifying communication problems between two systems.

Generally, any kind of errors that result in inaccurate or incomplete transmissions can be detected with CRCs. This includes single bit errors (flipping one bit), burst errors (the corruption of multiple bits in a row), and even complete packet loss (where an entire packet does not arrive).

By calculating the original data's checksum prior to sending and verifying it upon receipt, any unintended changes to the data due to malicious activities can be detected and addressed immediately before further damage occurs. This helps maintain confidentiality and integrity when sharing information over networks and other communication protocols.

It depends on your application but generally speaking, you should perform CRCs whenever there is a risk that something might go wrong during transmission or otherwise corrupt your data input—for example when transferring large files across an untrusted network such as the internet, or when storing crucial information in long-term archives like backups.