Method and apparatus for facilitating balanced bundles of electrical signals

A method for decoding a stream of codewords received through a bundle of conductors with a three-dimensional structure, comprising:

• receiving a current codeword in the stream of codewords through the bundle of conductors;
• and
• using a decoding function to decode the current codeword to restore the dataword, wherein the current codeword is less than double the size of the dataword;
• wherein the decoding function reverses a corresponding encoding function;
• wherein the encoding function for the dataword depends on a preceding codeword in the stream of codewords, so that when the preceding codeword changes to the current codeword, rising transitions are substantially matched with falling transitions within the bundle.

An apparatus that transmits a dataword through a bundle of conductors with a three-dimensional structure, comprising:

• an input that receives the dataword to be transmitted;
• an encoder that encodes the dataword into a current codeword in a stream of codewords, wherein the current codeword is less than double the size of the dataword;
• and
• a transmitter that transmits the current codeword to a destination through the bundle of conductors;
• wherein the encoder uses an encoding function that depends on a preceding codeword in the stream of codewords, so that when the preceding codeword changes to the current codeword, rising transitions are substantially matched with falling transitions within the bundle.

An apparatus that decodes a stream of codewords received through a bundle of conductors with a three-dimensional structure, comprising:

• an input that receives a current codeword in the stream of codewords from the bundle of conductors;
• and
• a decoder that decodes the current codeword to restore the dataword, wherein the current codeword is less than double the size of the dataword;
• wherein the decoder reverses a corresponding encoding function;
• wherein the encoding function for the dataword depends on a preceding codeword in the stream of codewords, so that when the preceding codeword changes to the current codeword, rising transitions are substantially matched with falling transitions within the bundle.